The 10 happiest countries in the world

Lucerne, Switzerland
Lucerne, Switzerland. Shutterstock / Boris Stroujko

The fourth annual World Happiness Report was just published, leading up to the United Nations' International Happiness Day on March 20.

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Commissioned by the UN, the report surveyed thousands of people from 156 nations, ranking countries based on six categories of wellbeing: GDP per capita, life expectancy, social support, trust in government, perceived freedom to make life decisions, and belief in the generosity of others.

For the first time, this year's report looked at happiness inequality — the variation in reported happiness between each country's residents. The editors argue that countries with the greatest happiness equality tend to be happiest.

Here are the 10 countries that scored the highest.

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10. Sweden.

sweden
Stockholm, Sweden. Thomas Fabian/Flickr

Swedes can expect to live a long life and a relatively high GDP ($60,430).

The country also boasts a beautiful landscape, mandatory paid family leave policies, single-payer healthcare, and a high level of civic engagement. In the most recent Parliamentary election in 2014, over 82% of the Swedish population voted.

 

9. Australia.

Sydney_2C_highres
Sydney, Australia. Climate Central

Australians have a high life expectancy (82 years) and GDP ($67,458), and a strong sense of social support. According to a 2015 report by the OCED, 92% of Australian respondents said they know someone they could rely on.

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8. New Zealand.

New Zealand
Roys Bay, New Zealand. Flickr / paul bica

Those in New Zealand have a high life expectancy (81 years), but the lowest GDP ($41,555) out of the top 10 happiest countries.

Greenhouse emissions are also relatively low here, mainly due to the country's low population.

7. The Netherlands.

dutch woman riding bike utrecht netherlands
A woman riding her bike in Utrecht. Michael Kooren/Reuters

Among a high life expectancy (81 years) and GDP per capita ($50,793) the Netherlands boasts one of the highest literacy rates in the world. Another recent report found adults in the Netherlands score above-average in math and reading comprehension tests.

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6. Canada.

canada_income_01
Toronto, Canada. Getty

Like all of the countries on the list, Canadians have a high GDP ($51,958), and a long life expectancy (81 years). 

Canada also enjoys the highest levels of personal freedom out of 142 countries surveyed in the 2015 Prosperity Index by The Legatum Institute, a London-based think tank.

5. Finland.

helsinki
Esplanade Park in Helsinki, Finland. AP/Lehtikuva, Martti Kainulainen

Finland has low levels of corruption, high literacy rates, a small income gap, and a high life expectancy at 80 years. However, its GDP is fairly low at $49,146.

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4. Norway.

Norway
Ålesund, Norway. Flickr/Andrés Nieto Porras

Norwegians enjoy a high life expectancy (81 years) and the highest GDP out of any of the top happiest countries ($100,818).

A majority of Norway's residents have paid jobs and a high level of education.

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3. Iceland.

Reykjavik, Iceland 
Reykjavik, Iceland. Shutterstock

Although Iceland has a lower GDP ($47,461) than many of the other countries, the nation's unemployment level has been declining since 2013.

Home to glaciers, warm springs, and the 197-foot Skogafoss Waterfall, pollution levels are low and life expectancy is at 83 years — the highest out of any country in the top 10.

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2. Switzerland.

geneva
Geneva, Switzerland. Flickr / ITU Pictures

Switzerland has one of the lowest crime rates in the world, and residents have a long life expectancy of 82 years. The country's GDP per capita is the second highest on the list behind Norway at $84,815.

 

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1. Denmark.

denmark.
Copenhagen, Denmark. Flickr/Núria i JC

The Scandinavian country held the World Happiness Report's top spot in 2013 and 2014, and fell to third in 2015. 

Denmark ranks as the happiest country based on a number of factors, including access to healthcare; high job security and GDP ($59,831);  political freedom; low government corruption; paid vacation time (an average of 5 weeks off per year); and a long life expectancy at 80 years.

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