Happiness is when everything you think, say, and do is in harmony. —Mahatma Gandhi
Happiness, perhaps like love, is one of the most difficult emotions and experiences in human life to understand and desire.
Let's take a look at the visual map of the World Happiness Report 2024.
The more yellow the happier, the bluer the more crippled
Judging by the results of the 2023 survey, the top 10 happiest countries have largely remained unchanged.
In the 2024 Global Happiness Map, see what is China's ranking?
In the 2024 Global Happiness Map, see what is China's ranking?
However, there are some new members in the top 20 countries, such as: Costa Rica, Kuwait (these two comparisons are inexplicable)?
And the top 20 for happiness can clearly see that the correlation between population size and happiness is very strong.
Of the top 10 countries, only the Netherlands and Australia have populations of more than 15 million. Of the top 20 countries, only Canada and the United Kingdom have populations of more than 30 million.
In the 2024 Global Happiness Map, see what is China's ranking?
At the bottom of the list, Afghanistan has the lowest happiness (1.7) and is the only Asian country in the ranking, with the majority of countries in the ranking being African.
North America + Central America
An interesting phenomenon in the two most advanced economies, the United States (23rd) and Canada (15th), in which older people are significantly happier than younger people, is also seen in Northern Europe.
In the 2024 Global Happiness Map, see what is China's ranking?
South America
In the 2024 Global Happiness Map, see what is China's ranking?
Uruguay, ranked 26th, once again leads the happiest country in South America and ranks fifth among the happiest countries in the entire Americas, behind Mexico, the United States, Canada and Costa Rica.
Venezuela, ranked 79th, is once again the unhappiest country in South America, despite rising more than 29 places in the last two editions of this report.
Despite recent encouraging trends, Venezuelans are significantly lower than in 2010, with a full percentage point of decline, ranking fourth in the dataset.
Europe
In the 2024 Global Happiness Map, see what is China's ranking?
With the exception of small, wealthy countries that occupy the highest levels of happiness, the continent's levels of happiness between Central and Eastern Europe and Western Europe are converging – and in the past few decades, Western Europe has seen much higher levels of happiness.
In fact, people under the age of 30 are equally happy across the continent, with only the older age group disparity.
Ukraine is now the unhappiest country in Europe, ranking 105th overall.
Central Asia, the Middle East
In the 2024 Global Happiness Map, see what is China's ranking?
In the Middle East and Central Asia, Israel ranks fifth, leading the region in terms of happiness levels, down one place since 2023. This survey took place before Israel started the war, and as a result, the rating of life dropped by 0.9 for the year.
However, the survey for Palestine (ranked 103rd globally) was conducted earlier this year, before October 7.
In Central Asia, Afghanistan is not only the lowest happiness in the world, but its score has also halved since 2010, the worst of any country over the same period.
East Asia, Oceania
In the 2024 Global Happiness Map, see what is China's ranking?
In South and East Asia, Singapore (30th) and Taiwan (31st) are well ahead of regional economic powerhouses China (60th), Japan (51st) and India (126th) in terms of happiness.
In Oceania, Australia (10th), and New Zealand (11th), the distribution of happiness is similar to that of the United States, Canada, and Northern Europe, with older people being much happier than younger people.
Africa
In the 2024 Global Happiness Map, see what is China's ranking?
Africa, the world's second-largest continent, occupies 9 of the 10 happiest countries in the world, with many of them concentrated around the Great Lakes of Africa.
Lesotho is the happiest country in Africa, ranking third overall. The country's residents often migrate to neighbouring South Africa, both in search of opportunities and to escape the persistent food insecurity caused by recurrent droughts.
On the other hand, Libya, Africa's happiest country, has recently seen a resurgence of political stability. The country's second civil war ended in 2020, with the last three main ruling factions agreeing on a framework for a unified government.
Finally, let's take a look at how many China ranks!
China
Hong Kong
Taiwan
资料来源：《世界幸福报告》（The World Happiness Report which leverages data from the Gallup World Poll.）