 "Deep-set in military conflicts, Israel drops to 8th place in happiness ranking; Finland happiest")
Attacks, bombings, frequent military cabinet meetings and a long-drawn war have once again dropped Israel into the eighth place on the happiness index. The country that used to boast of being in the top five in the World Happiness Report published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford has now found a place in the eighth position.
While Finland has come first in keeping its citizens happy for the eighth time straight, Israel’s ranking is the lowest since 2020 when it was dropped to the ninth spot.
In terms of freedom, Israelis rank their country 87th out of roughly 130 nations analyzed. When it comes to corruption, Israel is considered the 32nd least corrupt country. Regarding inequality, it holds the 15th highest score, with higher scores indicating lower inequality.
Afghanistan, plagued by a humanitarian catastrophe since the Taliban regained control in 2020, once again ranked as the unhappiest country in the world.
The United States fell to 24th place, it’s lowest score since the report was first published in 2012, when it recorded its highest showing at number 11.
“The number of people dining alone in the United States has increased 53 per cent over the past two decades,” the authors said, noting that sharing meals “is strongly linked with well-being”.
Nordic countries all stayed among the 10 happiest, with Denmark, Iceland and Sweden trailing Finland, which slightly extended its lead over runner-up Denmark.
Meanwhile, Costa Rica and Mexico entered the top 10 for the first time, at the sixth and 10th spots respectively.
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