The Top 10 Happiest Countries In The World Have Just Been Announced

Dec 19, 2018 by apost team

The United Nations puts out a yearly list of the happiest countries in the world. Not surprisingly, the Nordic countries consistently top the list. There are many reasons for this. The Nordic countries score highly on factors like life expectancy, income, and personal well-being. These are both self-reported and objective ratings.

The "World Happiness Report" collects these findings. This year, Finland was named the happiest country in the world. It topped Norway, which was last year's number 1. Denmark and Iceland are not far behind. Some countries also rank the happiness of the nation's immigrants. Not surprisingly, immigrants' happiness definitely impacts "native" happiness and vice versa.

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These are the other entries on the top 10 list, in descending order:

It's a young, vibrant country. The average age is just 37. Australia is also known for being open-minded.

This country is known for its free university tuition. Life here is very expensive, but well worth it for all the benefits that welfare gives its citizens.

The land of kiwis! The New Zealand landscape is also incredibly beautiful. No wonder everyone there is so happy. They're living in a painting!

Ice hockey, maple leaves, and universal healthcare. Canadian education rates are also quite striking.

The Dutch crime rate is so low that they're actually shutting down prisons there. The country focuses on rehabilitation rather than outright punishment.

Another country that's incredibly expensive. Many countries on this list are difficult to afford, but those high taxes are definitely going somewhere! Switzerland also has universal healthcare. They've even considered having a universal basic income.

Ranks highest in the world for gender equality. Fun fact: Iceland has also been used as a filming location for the show Game of Thrones.

Probably the most frequently cited as "the happiest country on earth." Sounds like a fairytale! Danes might not be super emotional, but their happiness is well-founded. Like many of the other countries on this list, they boast universal healthcare and other social security benefits.

One of the least violent countries on earth - even in its police force. The last time a police officer shot and killed someone was in 2014.

Not just the happiest country this year, but also one of the wealthiest. Finland has also been named the world's safest country. (Sadly enough, the US and the UK rank behind Zimbabwe!)

We definitely want to pack up and visit all these countries now! Have you been to any of them? And if so...did you come back happier? Let us know in the comments and pass this along to your friends and family so they can start planning their next vacation!