PH is 2nd happiest country in Southeast Asia, 60th worldwide –World Happiness Report
The Philippines is the 2nd happiest country in Southeast Asia and the 60th out of 146 nations across the globe, according to the 2022 World Happiness Report.
Presented by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the annual happiness report looks into each country's "life evaluations" with data coming from Gallup World Poll.
Singapore landed in first place among other Southeast Asian countries and 27th overall, followed by Thailand (61st), Malaysia (70th), Vietnam (77th), Indonesia (87th), Laos (95th) Cambodia (114th), and Myanmar. (126th).
The Philippines placed 61st last year, a notch lower than this year's ranking.
As for the top placers, Finland ranked in first place with Denmark and Iceland following close behind. Nordic countries also comprise five countries in the Top 10. Here are the top happiest countries in the world, according to the 2022 World Happiness Report:
- 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)
The report also credits a global uptick in benevolence, or being kind, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"This benevolence has provided notable support for the life evaluations of givers, receivers, and observers, who have been gratified to see their community’s readiness to reach out to help each other in times of need," the report states.
Leading in taking care of self
Meanwhile, the Philippines takes the lead in the global patterns of caring for self versus others, followed by Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Mauritius, and South Korea.
"Based on the standard narrative of the East being collectivistic, one might expect a trend in that region towards a preference for taking care of others," the WHR reads. "However, contrary to that expectation, responses in Eastern countries appear to show a clear preference for people taking care of themselves."
The WHR team chose "life evaluations" as its main quantifier because it "provide[s] the most informative measure for international comparisons because they capture the quality of life in a more complete and stable way than emotional reports based on daily experiences."
Other factors include gross domestic product per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make choices, generosity, perceptions of corruption.
Read the entire report here.