The 2019 World Happiness Report named Finland the happiest place to live for the second year in a row. The annual ranking of 156 countries, released Wednesday, looks at how happy a country's citizens consider themselves to be, taking into account factors such as life expectancy, welfare support, social freedoms, generosity and the absence of corruption in government and business. Rounding out the top five were fellow Nordic nations Denmark, Norway and Iceland, followed by the Netherlands. Rwanda, Tanzania, Afghanistan, the Central African Republic and South Sudan came in at the bottom of the index. Read more: A look at what makes Germans happy Happiness and community This year's report focused on "happiness and the community," and the role of social media and technology, social norms, conflicts and government policies on people's lives. "The world is a rapidly changing place," said John Helliwell, a professor at the University of British Columbia and co-editor of the report. "How communities interact with each other whether in schools, workplaces, neighborhoods or on social media has profound effects on world happiness." Read more: Why do we feel good when we help others? Watch video 00:46 Why are Finns the happiest people in the world? Germany was ranked 17th in the 2019 survey, down two spots from 2018. The United States, which fell one place, has seen decreasing happiness levels in recent years, a trend the report attributed in part to an epidemic of substance abuse and addiction. Over the past decade, happiness levels have dropped most dramatically in Venezuela, which is currently in 108th place. The South American country is suffering a political and economic crisis that has resulted in mass shortages of food and medicine. The report was commissioned by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network and released to coincide with World Happiness Day. 5 untranslatable expressions of joy Denmark: 'Arbejdsglæde' The Danish word "arbejdsglæde" describes the joy that Danes feel about their work. The term not only exists in Danish, but also in Swedish and Norwegian. In Nordic countries, obviously, being personally happy with your job is considered more important than a fat salary or a brilliant career. 5 untranslatable expressions of joy Ireland: 'Suaimhneas croi' The Irish have their own word for happiness — not about their work, but rather about the moment when a long working day finally comes to an end. That feeling of deep satisfaction that overwhelms a person once they've completed an important task is expressed by the Gaelic term "suaimhneas croi," that has something to do with peace and heart. It's certainly seems hard to pronounce. 5 untranslatable expressions of joy Spain: 'Sobremesa' If you want to stay on a Spaniard's good side, you should never wrap up a meal right after the food is done. In Spain, people appreciate their "sobremesa," which means spending a lot of time drinking coffee or a schnapps after the meal. This activity may even take longer than the dinner itself. 5 untranslatable expressions of joy Sweden: 'Gökotta' Getting up early in the morning to listen to the birds — that's what Swedes call "gökotta." The term consists of "gök," which means cuckoo, and "otta" which means earliness. According to the Swedes, this activity will bring you a deep feeling of happiness and joy for the rest of the day. 5 untranslatable expressions of joy Norway: 'Utepils' As soon as the days start to get longer and people enjoy the first rays of sunshine after a long winter, a striking phenomenon can be observed in Norway. People of all (legal drinking) ages come out to enjoy the weather and have an "utepils", or "outdoor lager," a beer that's consumed outside. For Norwegians, it's a very special moment of joy. Author: Antje Binder (ad) nm/sms (AP, dpa) Every day, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. Sign up for the newsletter here.<doc-sep>Finland topped the ranking of the world's happiest countries for the second year in a row, an annual survey issued on Wednesday showed. It ranked 156 countries according to things such as GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, social freedom, generosity, and absence of corruption. The top 10 was again dominated by the Nordics, with Denmark, Norway, and Iceland taking the other leading spots followed by Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, New Zealand, Canada, and Austria. The United States dropped one place to 19th. HELSINKI (Reuters) — Finland topped the ranking of the world's happiest countries for the second year in a row, with the Nordic countries taking the leading spots, an annual survey issued on Wednesday showed. South Sudan came last in the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network's 2019 World Happiness Report. It ranked 156 countries according to things such as GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, social freedom, generosity, and absence of corruption. Finland's flag flutters in Helsinki, Finland, May 3, 2017. Ints Kalnins, File Photo/Reuters Taking the harsh, dark winters in their stride, Finns' happiness is boosted by access to nature, safety, affordable childcare, free education, and heavily subsidized healthcare. Read more: Finland is offering people a free summer vacation so they can learn how to be happy from the locals The top 10 was again dominated by the Nordics, with Denmark, Norway, and Iceland taking the other leading spots followed by Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, New Zealand, Canada, and Austria. The United States dropped one place to 19th. "This year's report provides sobering evidence of how addictions are causing considerable unhappiness and depression in the US," the network's director Jeffrey Sachs said in a statement, adding that they were referring to addictions in many forms from substance abuse to gambling and digital media. People enjoy a sunny day at the Esplanade in Helsinki, Finland. Ints Kalnins, File Photo/Reuters Among the 20 top gainers since the 2005-2008 average ranking were 10 countries in Central and Eastern Europe, five in sub-Saharan Africa and three in Latin America, while the five that fell the most were Yemen, India, Syria, Botswana and Venezuela. Benin saw the largest gain over that period, rising 50 places in the rankings. Reporting by Tarmo Virki; Editing by Anne Kauranen and Ken Ferris<doc-sep>
HELSINKI — Finland has topped an index of the happiest nations for the second consecutive year, with researchers saying the small Nordic country of 5.5 million has succeeded in generating a happiness recipe for a balanced life not simply dependent on economic and material wealth. The World Happiness Report, produced by the U.N Sustainable Development Solutions Network, ranks 156 countries by how happy their citizens see themselves to be. It’s based on factors including economic wealth, life expectancy, social support, freedom to make life choices and levels of government corruption. The index, published Wednesday, showed the other Nordic countries did well again this year, with Denmark, Norway and Iceland taking the next spots. The remaining top ten nations were The Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, New Zealand, Canada and Austria. The United States dropped from the 18th to 19th place despite enjoying a booming economy in the past few years. The 134-page report noted that, in general, happiness levels have decreased worldwide despite continued economic growth. That’s partly explained by “dramatic falls” in happiness in population dense countries like the United States, Egypt and India, it said. “The worldwide tendency of a considerable decline in average happiness, despite the general growth in GDP per capita, is proof that measuring happiness and life satisfaction in terms of economic wealth alone is not at all sufficient,” said Meik Wiking, CEO of think tank The Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark, who took part in the report. Wiking believes the erosion of happiness in the United States can be blamed on a “social crisis” where many Americans are increasingly feeling that they cannot trust their fellow citizens and feel “they have no one to count on in times of need.” “The divide between rich and poor also creates an erosion of the cohesion and trust between people, which is so vital for the feeling of safety and security and therefore for the overall happiness level of the American people,” Wiking said. “By most accounts, Americans should be happier now than ever,” wrote Professor Jean M. Twenge from the San Diego State University, referring to low U.S. unemployment and violent crime rates, improved living standards and income level. She suggested that a factor could be the substantially increased time Americans are spending on electronic devices and social media, habits that have led to low in-person social interaction and decreased sleeping time, among other things. The report noted that happiness has declined the most drastically in the past ten years in the 108th placed Venezuela, a South American nation currently in economic turmoil with a severe political crisis. Out of the bottom ten countries in the index, six are African nations. South Sudan is the least happy country, followed by Central African Republic and Afghanistan. The report was compiled by prominent economists John F. Helliwell, Richard Layard and Jeffrey D. Sachs. WATCH: Does Denmark live up to its title as the happiest nation?