World Happiness Report
Methodology and Key Metrics
The World Happiness Report is an annual publication that ranks countries by how happy their citizens perceive themselves to be. It is published by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network in partnership with the University of Oxford's Wellbeing Research Centre and Gallup.
- The primary metric is the Cantril Ladder: respondents are asked to imagine a ladder with the best possible life at 10 and the worst at 0, and to place their current life on that ladder (scores are averaged over three-year periods using Gallup World Poll data).
- Six explanatory variables are used to contextualize rankings: GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and perceptions of corruption.
- Happiness rankings do not directly measure GDP or economic performance — they capture subjective well-being.
- The report was first published in 2012 to support the UN High-Level Meeting on Happiness and Well-Being.
- Nordic countries (Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Norway) consistently dominate the top rankings due to high social trust, strong welfare systems, low inequality, and freedom scores.
● Tracked since March 19, 2026 · last seen March 19, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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