The biggest increases in well-being were recorded by Romania, Bulgaria, and Serbia. The World Happiness Table, which was released Friday, showed the largest drops in Afghanistan, Venezuela, and Lebanon.

The index of 146 countries, which includes Lebanon, places it second behind Zimbabwe, a country that is currently in economic crisis.

Afghanistan, which was already war-traumatized and at the bottom, has seen its humanitarian crisis worsen since August, when the Taliban seized power.

UNICEF has estimated that one million children below five years old could starve if they are not assisted.

Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, co-author of this article, stated that “This index” is a stark reminder about the immaterial and material damage war causes to its many victims.

The World Happiness Report is now in its 10th anniversary. It’s based on people’s subjective assessments of happiness as well as data from economic and social sources.

Based on data collected over a period of three years, it assigns a happiness score of zero to 10. This edition was published before the Russian invasion in Ukraine.

The top spots were once more dominated by Northern Europeans — the Danes came in second place behind the Finns, followed closely by the Icelandic and Swiss, and then the Dutch.

The United States climbed three places to 16th place, one behind Britain, while France rose to 20th, the highest ranking of its kind.

The happiness score is a combination of a person’s sense of well-being and a country’s level of social support. It is based on Gallup polls.

The authors used social media data to assess people’s emotions prior and following the Covid-19 Pandemic. The authors found that there was a strong increase in anxiety and sadness in 18 countries, but a decrease in anger.

Jeffrey Sachs, co-author of the World Happiness Report, wrote that “the lesson from the World Happiness Report over time is that social support and generosity to one another are crucial for wellbeing.”

“World leaders need to pay attention.”

It was a surprise when Finland was first listed in the 2018 Top 100 Lists.

Many of the 5.5 million Nordic citizens describe themselves as melancholy-prone and taciturn. They also admit to looking suspiciously at public displays of joy.

The country of lakes and forests is also well-known for its efficient public services, widespread saunas, trust in authorities, low levels of crime, and low inequality.