With a 4.673 average score, Georgia has the unhappiest citizens as compared to its neighboring countries. And it’s not about the money, which cannot buy happiness, it is about at least six other factors that are critical for nations to have happy people.
According to the United Nations World Happiness Report 2020, which covers 153 countries surveyed by Gallup World Poll, Georgia is ranked 117 of the global ranking of happiness around the world.
Quality of life, the UN report says, can be reliably assessed by a variety of well-being measures, with income being only of them and not necessarily the most important. The other five key variables are freedom to make life choices, trust towards social and political institutions, healthy life expectancy, level of available support from friends and relatives in times of need, and generosity as a sense of positive community engagement.
As compared to its neighboring countries, Georgia is left behind by Armenia, ranked 116, Turkey – 93, Azerbaijan – 89, and Russia – 73.
As for the leaders of the happiest nations, Finland’s continued to occupy the top spot for the third year in a row, and with a score that is now significantly ahead of other countries in the top ten. Denmark and Switzerland have also increased their average scores from last year’s rankings. Denmark continued to occupy second place. Switzerland, with its larger increase, jumped from 6th place to 3rd. Last year’s third-ranking country, Norway, was now in 5th place with a modest decline in average score, most of which occurred between 2017 and 2018. Iceland was in 4th place; its new survey in 2019 did little to change its 3-year average score. The Netherlands slipped into 6th place, one spot lower than in last year’s ranking. The next two countries in the ranking were the same as last year, Sweden and New Zealand in 7th and 8th places, respectively, both with little change in their average scores. In 9th and 10th places were Austria and Luxembourg, respectively.
The top ten nations with the lowest happiness index incorporate India – 144, Malawi – 145, Yemen – 146, Botswana – 147, Tanzania – 148, Central African Republic – 149, Rwanda – 150, Zimbabwe – 151, South Sudan – 152, and Afghanistan – 153.
