A UN-sponsored report has named Switzerland the third happiest country in the world for the second year running. This year’s report also looked at the effects of Covid-19 on people’s wellbeing.
Switzerland comes in behind Finland and Denmark, according to the World Happiness Report 2021External link released on Friday. Finland has come top for the fourth year running, in a ranking topped mainly by European countries. They occupy the top ten places, with the exception of New Zealand (in ninth place).
Germany came 13th, the UK 17th, the US 19th and France 21st. Bottom of the ranking of some 150 countries is Afghanistan.
The study, published annually since 2012, mainly uses Gallup opinion polls asking people about their own level of happiness, cross-referenced with GDP and assessments of the level of solidarity, individual freedom and corruption.
This year’s “Happiness Report” was faced with “a unique challenge in trying to understand what effect the pandemic has had on subjective well-being and vice versa”, say the authors. “The World Happiness Report 2021 reminds us that we must aim for wellbeing rather than mere wealth, which will be fleeting indeed if we don’t do a much better job of addressing the challenges of sustainable development.”
Popular Stories
More
Foreign affairs
Why Swiss trams have become sought-after vehicles in Ukraine
Switzerland participates in ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting
This content was published on
This engagement was part of a four-day tour of Southeast Asia, aimed at advancing the Swiss Federal Council's Southeast Asia Strategy.
Majority of shareholders approve sustainability reports of major Swiss companies
This content was published on
Shareholders have approved the sustainability reports of the largest Swiss companies by a large majority at their annual general meetings.
EU releases €1.5B frozen assets to Ukraine: Switzerland opts out
This content was published on
The EU announced the release of €1.5 billion (CHF1.44 billion) in aid to Ukraine. Switzerland will not follow the EU's approach.
Five people charged in connection with deadly Swiss rockslide
This content was published on
Five people have been charged with multiple negligent homicide in connection with the deadly Bondo rockslide that occurred seven years ago.
Mountaineer dies after 100-metre fall from Matterhorn
This content was published on
A women fell down the east face of the iconic mountain on Thursday, from an altitude of some 3,460 meters above sea level.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
The chance to participate in politics is the key to happiness
This content was published on
In many parts of the world, people’s level of satisfaction with their own democracy is diminishing according to a recent study.
Switzerland drops to fifth in global happiness ranking
This content was published on
For the third year in a row, Switzerland has dropped in the United Nation’s World Happiness report – though it still remains towards the top.
This content was published on
The rankings in the “World Happiness Report” issued on Thursday are based on measurements of well-being by experts in fields such as economics, health and psychology. Iceland, Denmark, Norway and Canada claim the next spots. It is the third time since 2012 that the assessment has been done. The report says the aim is to…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.