Belgium ranks higher than ever on the global happiness index. According to the World Happiness Report the country today features on the 14th spot. Last year, Belgium ranked 16th. Finland has the world's happiest population for the 8th year in a row.
Like last year, Nordic countries dominate the top 10. Finland leads and is followed by Denmark, Iceland and Sweden. Norway is in position 7.
The study mainly measures ‘a sense of satisfaction’ and examines various indicators that make people generally happier, such as social support (in the form of family ties and friendships), health, freedom, generosity (in the form of charitable donations), perception of corruption and gross domestic product (GDP).
Belgium’s Benelux neighbours are also in the top 10, with the Netherlands again in 5th place and Luxembourg in 9th. Costa Rica, in 6th place, and Mexico, in 10th, enter the top 10 for the first time.
Belgium has risen from 16th to 14th place, its highest score ever, surpassing the 15th place it achieved in 2011. The Germans are only in 22nd place and the French in a poor 33rd.
Americans have more blues
The US ranks 24th, its worst ever performance ever for this nation. Russia and China rank 66th and 68th respectively.
Among countries involved in conflict, Ukraine ranks 111th, Yemen 140th and the Democratic Republic of Congo 141st. The Palestinian territories rank 108th and Israel 8th. There is no data on Syria or Sudan.
The ranking has 147 countries. Lebanon (144), Sierra Leone (146) and Afghanistan (147) are at the bottom of the list and thus have the least happy populations, allegedly.