Young people least satisfied and Finns at the top: what the report on global happiness shows

Finland once again appears at the top of the list of the happiest countries in the world in the World Happiness Report, an annual study published by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network with the University of Oxford, released this Wednesday. Portugal rises one position compared to the previous year, to 55th place, with a score of 6.030 on a scale of zero to ten.

After Finland (7,741), Denmark (7,583), Iceland (7,525), Sweden (7,344) and Israel (7,341) follow. Completing the top ten are the Netherlands (7,319), Norway (7,302), Luxembourg (7,122), Switzerland (7,060) and Australia (7,057). The top ten countries have remained “practically the same” since before the Covid-19 pandemic, the document points out.

At the bottom of the table, Lebanon (142nd) and Afghanistan (143rd) continue to occupy the last two places. There remains a “big gap” between the countries at the top and those at the bottom, with a total of six points difference between Finland and Afghanistan.

The ratings reflect an average for the period between 2021 and 2023. The rating is based on three indicators: evaluations about life, positive emotions and negative emotions. The surveys are carried out by the company Gallup and, afterwards, the analysis of the data collected takes into account six other variables: income, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity and corruption.

Less happy young people

This year’s edition of the report focuses on people’s happiness at different stages of life. The overall pattern shows young people, on average, being happier than their older counterparts. But analyzing the variety of experiences within each region, for example in the case of Western Europe, it is concluded that Norway, Sweden, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Spain are countries where the elderly are now “significantly happier” than the elderly. young people, while Portugal and Greece show the “inverse pattern”.

The highlight goes to North America, where happiness “has fallen so sharply for young people that they are currently less happy than their elders”. Young people’s happiness also fell, but less sharply, in Western Europe. In the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, happiness decreased in all age groups, but especially among the youngest (between 15 and 24 years old), which translates into a “big change” compared to the period between 2006 and 2010, when young people were happier than middle-aged groups and almost as happy as people aged 60 and over.

“By bringing together available data on the well-being of children and adolescents around the world, we have documented disconcerting declines, especially in North America and Western Europe. To think that, in some parts of the world, children are already experiencing the equivalent of a mid-life crisis requires immediate political action”, highlights the professor in a statement. Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, director of the Wellbeing Research Center at the University of Oxford.

In terms of generations, the document reveals that those born before 1965 have life evaluations about a quarter of a point higher than those born after 1980. Among those born before 1965, these evaluations increase with age, while For those born after 1980, happiness decreases with each year of age.

Dementia and aging

One of the report’s chapters is dedicated to the well-being of the aging population globally: the World Health Organization estimates that the number of people aged 65 and over will double by 2050. At the same time, the number of people with dementia will also will continue to grow, reaching approximately 139 million by the same date.

“Higher levels of well-being have been strongly associated with a lower risk of future dementia, suggesting that increasing well-being may be a promising non-pharmacological approach to preventing dementia,” the document highlights. Among the actions that promote well-being are social involvement and feeling that life has a purpose or meaning.

The need for more research into groups at greater risk of developing the disease is highlighted, namely people living in low- and middle-income countries, racial and ethnic minorities and people with lower socioeconomic status. The impact of inequalities on the path and quality of life of people with dementia and their caregivers is already being studied in Portugal.

“Environmental changes and activities that increase autonomy, competence and relationships with others have been shown to improve the well-being” of those living with dementia, the report also highlights. Exercising, outdoor activities such as gardening, reading stories or listening to music are some examples. Success is greater when activities are adapted to each person and an important contribution can be made through intergenerational programs.

Older brings happiness in India

The particular case of India is a specific target for analysis, firstly because the country has 140 million people aged 60 or over, a figure that is second only to China (250 million) globally. Furthermore, the average growth rate of Indians aged 60 and over is “three times higher” than the overall growth rate of the country’s population.

The study concludes that, in India, happiness increases in later life, more for men than for women. “Advanced age is associated with greater life satisfaction in India, refuting some claims that the positive association between age and life satisfaction only exists in high-income countries”, it can be read.

Older adults with higher levels of education were found to be “significantly more satisfied” with life than those without any formal education. Satisfaction with living conditions, perception of discrimination and self-rated health emerged as the three main factors predicting life satisfaction.