The December sun never rises above the horizon of Finland’s Arctic north. Even in the far south of the country, where the bulk of Finns live, residents witness merely six hours of sunlight per day in the depths of winter. Despite this darkness, Finland is officially the world’s happiest country — and it has earned this accolade for four years in a row. That’s according to the United Nations’ 2021 World Happiness Report, which is based on a single (albeit subjective) question: Participants all around the globe are asked to rate their happiness on a scale of one to ten.
Other Nordic nations, including Iceland, Denmark and Sweden, also hold top spots on the list. The only non-European country that scores among the happiest ten is New Zealand. Meanwhile, nations including Afghanistan, South Sudan and Zambia consistently fall toward the bottom of the list. The United States currently sits at ...
