Nigeria has been ranked as the 102nd happiest nation in the world, according to the latest edition of the World Happiness Report released on Wednesday. This represents a drop of seven places from its position at 95th in the 2023 report by Sustainable Development Solutions.
The annual report, released to coincide with the International Day of Happiness on March 20, surveyed 143 countries. Finland maintained its position as the world’s happiest country for the seventh consecutive year, with other Nordic countries like Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden also ranking among the top 10 happiest nations.
At the other end of the spectrum, Afghanistan, which has been grappling with a humanitarian crisis since the Taliban regained control in 2020, remained at the bottom of the list.
Interestingly, for the first time in over a decade, the United States and Germany failed to make it into the top 20 happiest nations, coming in at 23rd and 24th place respectively. Conversely, Costa Rica and Kuwait entered the top 20, ranking 12th and 13th respectively.
One notable trend highlighted in the report is the absence of the world’s largest countries in the top 10 happiest nations. Only the Netherlands and Australia, with populations over 15 million, made it to the top 10, while Canada and the UK, with populations over 30 million, were the only ones in the top 20.
The report also pointed out significant shifts in happiness levels across different regions and age groups. While younger generations were generally happier than older ones in most regions, there were exceptions, such as in North America, Australia, and New Zealand, where happiness among those under 30 declined since 2006-2010.
Furthermore, the report highlighted growing happiness inequality across regions, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, where disparities in income, education, healthcare, and social acceptance have contributed to widening happiness gaps.
Overall, the report’s findings shed light on various factors influencing happiness, including individuals’ self-assessed evaluations of life satisfaction, GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and corruption.