Should you move to a Scandinavian country?

You should, if you want to live in the happiest countries in the world. Each year the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, in collaboration with various organizations and experts around the world, produces its World Happiness Report. The list is based on key data points from GDP, life expectancy, social support, freedom, generosity, and more. These key data sets are still important. But, this year the data was also focused on how COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on our wellbeing.

Here are their conclusions as to the 20 happiest countries:

1. Finland 

2. Iceland 

3. Denmark 

4. Switzerland 

5. Netherlands 

6. Sweden 

7. Germany 

8. Norway 

9. New Zealand 

10. Austria 

11. Israel 

12. Australia 

13. Ireland 

14. United States 

15. Canada 

16. Czech Republic 

17. Belgium 

18. United Kingdom 

19. Taiwan Province of China 

20. France

Then, the reverse - the 20 unhappiest countries:

130. Swaziland 

131. Comoros 

132. Egypt 

133. Ethiopia 

134. Mauritania 

135. Madagascar 

136. Togo 

137. Zambia 

138. Sierra Leone 

139. India 

140. Burundi 

141. Yemen 

142. Tanzania 

143. Haiti 

144. Malawi 

145. Lesotho 

146. Botswana 

147. Rwanda 

148. Zimbabwe 

149. Afghanistan

Forbes thinks that there are four important conclusions:

#1: The gap between the “happys” and the “happy-nots” is enormous
#2: People who move to happier countries become happier by association
#3: Smaller countries are getting happier; larger countries are not
#4: Urbanites are happier than country-folk, at least prior to coronavirus