Happier Abroad Forum Community

This may be of interest to those contemplating where to go abroad.

The UN conducts an annual survey to assess where the happiest cities and countries in the world are. Happiness is very subjective and were you to ask different questions I'm sure you would get a different result. The UN's method seems to emphasize personal financial security.

Note also that it was released back in March when the first covid scare was newly underway, so take it for what it's worth. It will be interesting to see what the results will be in 2021.

World's Happiest Countries 2020 Announced

Finland is #1 ranking for three years in a row. Anybody live there?

Western Europe and Scandinavia dominates the top 10. New Zealand is also very happy.

Canada, UK, US rank in the top 20. Israel too.

The highest ranking Asian country is Taiwan at 25, followed by Singapore at 31.

Brazil is almost as happy as Singapore.

Japan and South Korea have nearly identical scores, and they rank below Philippines as well as Thailand. That's interesting.

Russia is smack in the middle.

Malaysia and Vietnam are at the higher end of the bottom half.

Africa and the Middle East, excepting the oil-rich nations, are not surprisingly unhappy countries.

Afghanistan is the least happiest country.


Most on-topic thread that has been created this year? You're welcome.

Canada is at #11, Australia at #12, UK at #13, USA at #18 which is the same order you would rank feminism and divorce rapes. If Afghanistan is at the bottom of the list it probably means men are happy there relative to women. If New Zealand is near the top it probably means the men have almost no rights or opportunities left, a victory for feminists and corporations who can exploit millions of unhappy men.

flowerthief00 wrote: ↑

November 26th, 2020, 11:25 pm

Most on-topic thread that has been created this year? You're welcome.

The criteria are highly questionable and I doubt if you can measure 'happiness' solely because of them.

1. Money (GNP per capita)
2. Life expectancy
3. Social network
4. Freedom of choice (what should this mean?)
5. Generosity (Donations from people)
6. Corruption

This makes it clear that only rich countries can make it up to the top ranks.
Saudi Arabia is higher rated than Spain and Italy...

Best off looking up the suicide rates of a country. In London, there are 60 attempted suicides a DAY. Where I am from in England is a suicide hotspot for young males and I can see why. When I go home, I don't see many happy looking people miling about.

HappyGuy wrote: ↑

November 27th, 2020, 12:07 am

..... If New Zealand is near the top it probably means the men have almost no rights or opportunities left, a victory for feminists and corporations who can exploit millions of unhappy men.

Somewhat like that indeed, I agree.

The no.1 criteria of this happiness index is money (measured by GDP/person however without considering purchasing power, and this alone makes a huge difference)

USA is 18., and China is only rank 94.....(lower rated than Congo, this is ridiculous!)

This strange happiness index does not consider social life at all.
However happiness is not directly related to income alone.

For example many Philippines children living in poverty feel happy, because they share the same poverty with their siblings and other children next to them whne playing....

I remember a video-clip of a young woman from Moldovia who was considering relocation and open to marriage with a foreigner - she said, many foreign men are wrongly informed - because I am poor, earning barely enough for my basic needs, they think I am unhappy, I must be desperate to leave my country, but this is wrong....