Nation
Europe dominated the happiest countries in the world list. What about the United States?
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Finland was voted the happiest country in the world for the fifth straight year, and is joined by other European countries in the annual World Happiness Report.
A publication of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the 10th edition of the report published on Friday ranked 146 countries in their overall happiness. Researchers say past data has looked at how citizen’s trust in government and large institutions has played a major factor in a country’s level of happiness.
“The World Happiness Report is changing the conversation about progress and wellbeing. It provides important snapshots of how people around the world feel about the overall quality of their lives,” Christopher Barrington-Leigh, professor at McGill University in Quebec and researched involved in the report, said in a statement.
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Top 10 happiest countries
Using results from the Gallup World Poll, Finland was in first, as they had an overall score of 7.821 out of 10, which was “significantly ahead” of all other countries. Northern Europe appeared to be one of the happiest regions in the world, as all five Nordic countries – Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden and Norway – ranked in the top eight.
Here are the top ten countries and their score:
- Finland- 7.821
- Denmark- 7.636
- Iceland- 7.557
- Switzerland- 7.512
- Netherlands- 7.415
- Luxembourg- 7.404
- Sweden- 7.384
- Norway- 7.365
- Israel- 7.364
- New Zealand- 7.200
10 least happiest countries
The unhappiest country, according to the rankings, was Afghanistan, with a score of 2.404. Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, director of the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford in England, said recent conflict in the country played a vital role in its ranking. In August, the Taliban took over the country following the U.S. military withdrawal.
“At the very bottom of the ranking we find societies that suffer from conflict and extreme poverty,” De Neve said. “This presents a stark reminder of the material and immaterial damage that war does to its many victims and the fundamental importance of peace and stability for human wellbeing.”
The data was collected well before Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in February, but both countries were in the bottom half of the rankings, with Russia ranking 80th and Ukraine at 98th.
Here are the 10 countries ranked in the bottom along with their score:
- Afghanistan- 2.404
- Lebanon- 2.955
- Zimbabwe- 2.995
- Rwanda- 3.268
- Botswana- 3.471
- Lesotho- 3.512
- Sierra Leone- 3.574
- Tanzania- 3.702
- Malawi- 3.750
- Zambia- 3.760
What about the United States?
The U.S. may not be in the top 10, but it’s not far off, ranking 16th with a score of 6.977, just behind Canada but ahead of the United Kingdom. Canada is the happiest country in the Americas, according to the data.
The ranking is also the best ranking for the U.S. since 2017, when they were the 14th happiest. It’s also a big jump from the 2021 report, when it ranked 19th with a score of 6.951.
Here are the past seven rankings for the U.S.:
- 2022: 16th
- 2021: 19th
- 2020: 18th
- 2019: 19th
- 2018: 18th
- 2017: 14th
- 2016: 13th
A surge in paying it forward
COVID-19 has taken its toll on nearly every country around the world for over two years, and even though the pandemic hasn’t ended with the emergence of a new variant, researchers said people appeared to be more happy in 2021 than in 2020, when the pandemic began. Global worry and stress levels also were down from 2020.
John Helliwell, researcher and professor at the University of British Columbia, said their data showed globally, people were volunteering, helping and donating 25% more than they were before the pandemic.
“This surge of benevolence, which was especially great for the helping of strangers, provides powerful evidence that people respond to help others in need, creating in the process more happiness for the beneficiaries, good examples for others to follow, and better lives for themselves,” Helliwell said.
Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.
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Uber, Lyft made safety improvements, but many of those protect riders more than drivers. But drivers are also in danger.
Naomi Ogutu
Opinion contributor
I’ve been a rideshare driver in New York City for six years, and I take pride in my job and helping my passengers get where they need to go safely. But my safety is not a guarantee. I’m a mom of three. I need to know that I’ll make it home to my kids at the end of each night.
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Business
'A bad déjà vu': Under the crush of Western sanctions, Russians fear a return to dark economic days
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Harsh sanctions from Western nations on Russia have reminded citizens of the country’s 1998 debt crisis.
By Anna Nemtsova
USA TODAY
- McDonalds and other American businesses have closed in Russia amid its invasion into Ukraine.
- One expert estimates more than 200,000 Russians have left the country since the start of the war.
- To counter economic turmoil, Putin has demand “unfriendly” countries pay for natural gas exports in rubles.
The once bustling corner of Moscow’s central Tverskaya Street looked deserted on Wednesday, as Russia’s first-ever McDonald’s franchise – opened in 1990 in a move that symbolized the Soviet Union’s opening to the West – shut its doors.
A large mural depicting a giant, Soviet-era medal – the Order of Victory, the highest military decoration awarded in World War II — loomed over over the empty sidewalk.
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The lone No. 1 seed still alive heading into the Elite Eight, Kansas needs only a win against No. 10 Miami (Fla.) to book a spot in the Final Four.
No. 2 Duke and coach Mike Krzyzewski can make one last Final Four and chase one final national championship by beating No. 4 Arkansas.
No. 2 Villanova can reach the national semifinals for the third time in six tournaments by winning what should be a defense-dominated brawl against No. 5 Houston.
And after beating No. 4 UCLA in the Sweet 16, No. 8 North Carolina is one win from reaching the Final Four under first-year coach Hubert Davis.
If everything goes according to plan, this year’s Final Four will consist of some of the biggest names in the history of the sport.
But the last week has taught us that this year’s NCAA Tournament will inevitably deviate from the script.
So look for the Jayhawks to be shocked in the Elite Eight, as the Bill Self collection of tournament collapses adds another painful chapter. Based on how things have gone through three rounds, Arkansas is a lock to send Krzyzewski into retirement one game shy of the Final Four. Villanova may be a two-time champion under Jay Wright, but the Wildcats will be smothered by Houston.
And, of course, the Tar Heels will lose to the team that embodies the wackiness and uncertainty of this entire tournament.
Saint Peter’s stands at the precipice of another outlandish achievement: being the first No. 15 seed — the first seed lower than No. 11, in fact — to reach the Final Four.
The Peacocks will be the underdog once again come Sunday, when they’ll match against a deeper and more talented opponent with decades of history to more than overshadow the Peacocks’ three-game run.
But beating another college basketball giant will simply take what we already know the Peacocks can bring to the table: Saint Peter’s reached the Elite Eight with energy, aggressiveness and composure, following the model set by unflappable coach Shaheen Holloway, and that same combination will give the Peacocks a chance at etching themselves into an even more permanent place in NCAA Tournament history.
“We’re happy but don’t mistake, we’re not satisfied, we’re not satisfied at all,” said guard Doug Edert. “The job is not finished. We feel like we belong and the more games we win the more confidence we build.”
That sounds like bad news for the Tar Heels, who might’ve righted the ship after a poor start to ACC play but could be the latest blueblood to the Peacocks’ formula.
At some point, the magic has to run out — for Saint Peter’s, which somehow keeps stacking upsets of higher-ranked opponents, and for the tournament at large, which has been wackier than ever but could suddenly snap back to the status quo.
But this March has not gone according to plan. Several big names lost early. Others failed to get out of the second round. The story of this year’s tournament has been upsets, shockers, letdowns, unpredictable officiating and unpredictability, period — why should the next two days be any different?
Follow colleges reporter Paul Myerberg on Twitter @PaulMyerberg
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