The World Happiness Report 2022 ranked 146 countries based on three broad indicators: life evaluations, and positive and negative emotions. Under these three indicators, the report looks at various factors that influence the three main indicators: income, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom to make life choices, trust, generosity, GDP of a country, and perceptions of corruption.
While rankings like these are not definitive, they provide some insight into the factors contributing to citizens’ perceived happiness in different countries.
As usual, countries from Northern Europe, Finland (Ist), Denmark (2nd), and Iceland (3rd), have dominated the Happiness ranking, followed by mostly developed economies, including Germany (14th ), the United States of America (16th), and the United Kingdom(17th).
Turning to the happiest countries in Africa, Mauritius(52nd) ranks as the happiest country, whiles Zimbabwe (144th) is the least happy country, as it struggles with high poverty levels.
According to the report, Libya(86th), Ukraine(97th), and Iraq (107) – countries plagued by political instability and conflict – are happier places to live than Ghana (111). Ghana has decreased in ranking from the previous year, where it fared 95th out of the 149 countries surveyed in the 2021 World Happiness Report. Factors such as the Covid-19 pandemic, which impacted various aspects of the country, can be attributed to the decrease in the Happiness Ranking.
One plausible reason Ukraine, Iraq, and Libya may be happier countries than Ghana is the level of social support. According to the report, Ukraine, Iraq, and Libya ranked higher than Ghana regarding social support, which refers to strong social networks and access to social services like healthcare and education.
This suggests that citizens in Ukraine, Iraq, and Libya may feel more connected to their communities and have better access to resources that contribute to their overall well-being.
Another factor is economic prosperity. While all these countries are considered developing nations, they have varying levels of income and wealth. Despite the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and political instability in Libya and Iraq, these countries have a higher level of income and wealth (World Bank Data) than Ghana.
Happiness is a complex and multifaceted concept that cannot be reduced to a simple ranking. While the World Happiness Report can offer some insights into the factors that contribute to happiness and help governments shape policies to improve the happiness of their citizens, it is up to everyone to determine what brings them happiness and fulfillment in their own lives.
Source: Agnes Enyonam Gaga, Contributor
