Sri Lankans happier this year than last year, World Happiness Report finds

20 March 2023 08:57 pm - 10 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Finland has been voted the happiest place in the world for the sixth consecutive year while Sri Lanka was ranked 112th, according to the World Happiness Report 2023 released on Monday.

Sri Lanka's position has improved from the 2022 index where it was ranked 127th.

In order to uncover the happiest spots around the globe, researchers analysed six key factors: social support, income, health, freedom, generosity, and absence of corruption. Despite several overlapping crises, the study found that global life satisfaction is just as high as those in pre-pandemic years.

With thousands of lakes and near endless forests, the Nordic nation of Finland is known for its extensive welfare system, high trust in authorities and low levels of inequality among its 5.5 million inhabitants.

While Ukraine's ranking improved from 98 to 92 this year, despite the Russian invasion, its overall score fell from 5.084 to 5.071, on a scale of zero to 10.

Professor Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, an editor of the report, said there had been an "extraordinary rise in fellow feeling across Ukraine" despite what the report called a "magnitude of suffering and damage in Ukraine" since the 2022 invasion.

Last year "benevolence grew sharply in Ukraine but fell in Russia," the report found, referring to acts like helping strangers or making donations.

The report also cited a "much stronger sense of common purpose, benevolence and trust in Ukrainian leadership" than after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.

Northern Europe once again dominated the top spots -- with Denmark in second place followed by Iceland. Israel occupied fourth position, up five spots from last year.

War-scarred Afghanistan, which has occupied the bottom spot on the table since 2020, saw its humanitarian crisis deepen since the Taliban government took power in 2021 following the US-led military pullout.

The World Happiness Report, first published in 2012, is based on people's own assessment of their happiness, as well as economic and social data.

In the index, neighbouring India ranked 126th and Pakistan ranked 108th. (Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya)

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Comments - 10

Kumar Monday, 20 March 2023 09:08 PM

Disneyland claims to be the happiest place on earth. If long lines and terrible food are ignored, then that sounds right. Sri Lanka falls into that category.

Truth Monday, 20 March 2023 09:29 PM

Yes. We saw that in the big match.

jan Monday, 20 March 2023 09:49 PM

World HAPPYNESS Report is ENTIRELY Wrong, SRILANKANS UNDERGOING TREMENDOUS UNTOLD HARDSHIPS CONTINUOUSLY due to Economic CRIMES,CREATED DELIBERATELY, HOW COME SRILANKANS MINIMUM WAGES LESS THAN 2 USD $$ RURAL AREAS,HUNGER, SICKNESS,NO SHELTER,NO MEDECINES,,NO WATER MULTIPLIES????

Mark Monday, 20 March 2023 10:46 PM

Sri Lanka does not have survey information in 2022. The averages are based on the 2020 and 2021 surveys so can't say this is actually the case.

Jason Tuesday, 21 March 2023 01:38 AM

So people in India are almost as unhappy as Sri Lankans last year.

Chumley Pinto Tuesday, 21 March 2023 07:58 AM

Yes in comparison to last year only when people had to stay in queues for days to get petrol. No wonder.

Fred Tuesday, 21 March 2023 08:46 AM

English is a world language.Make every one proficient in English.Sri Lankans are good at languages.They will pick it up.Dont wait for foreign aid start with available resources.Use the mobile phone and internet anything that communicates. Should be villages, towns, everyone. You will go up in the Happiness Index, open up job opportunities, even become better cricketers when their confidence levels improves can't think of a better investment and I have lived overseas for 40 years.You dont have to complicate things start with Spoken English.Contact the British Council, a free resource

Jude Tuesday, 21 March 2023 09:02 AM

Last April we went BANKRUPT, thereafter, this place became the living hell, no water no electricity no fuel no gas no milk powder no medicine!!

Sangaralingham Tuesday, 21 March 2023 09:55 AM

Happiness is created by our way of life and our expectation for ourselves with equal respect to our fellow citizens one must include among various factors morals ethics justice and religion.in one way or another theses factors create peace mental socialstanility Yes we failed to learn even though society in general fought terrorism social disharmony and many a lost opportunities during this time ountry is a paradise.we must all must see to that not going across the world forbegging while remaining apart for so many years.our parliament elected members failed us

Jef Tuesday, 21 March 2023 04:30 PM

Beautiful country like sri Lanka easly should have been in top 5 if BRITISH in command

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Sri Lankans happier this year than last year, World Happiness Report finds

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