New York, 20 March 2024 (MIA) – Finland retained its title as the happiest country in the world for the seventh consecutive year, ranking first in the United Nations’ World Happiness Report published Wednesday. North Macedonia holds the 84th spot on the list, while the country’s young people (under 30) are ranked 67th.

In terms of the countries of the region, Slovenia holds the 21st spot, Kosovo 29th, Serbia 37th, Croatia 63rd, Greece 64th, Bosnia and Herzegovina 65th, Montenegro 76th, Bulgaria 81st, Albania 87th, and Turkey 98th.

Ukraine holds the 105th spot on the list, while the Palestinian territories are 103rd in terms of happiness.

Serbia, Bulgaria and Latvia are the countries that saw the biggest increase of their happiness index from 2006-2010 to 2021-2024.

Afghanistan, Lebanon and Jordan experienced the biggest downward slide during the same period, with Afghanistan ranked last in the list of 143 states.

Germany and the United States are not in the list’s top 20 for the first time after more than 10 years, after dropping to 23rd and 24th.

“The top countries no longer include any of the largest countries. In the top ten countries, only the Netherlands and Australia have populations over 15 million. In the whole of the top twenty, only Canada and the United Kingdom have populations over 30 million,” the report states. China is ranked 60th, while India holds the 126th spot.

The World Happiness Report has been published annually by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network since 2012. It is based on an assessment of people’s happiness, as well as their economic and social data.

The report assesses six key variables: GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and corruption.

The Report also highlights that in many, but not all regions, the young are happier than the old.

“In North America happiness has fallen so sharply for the young that they are now less happy than the old. By contrast, in the transition countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the young are much happier than the old. In Western Europe as a whole happiness is similar at all ages, while elsewhere it tends to decline,” the Report states.