World Happiness Report - 2016

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World Happiness Report - 2016

Denkark was the happiest country in the world according to the 2016 World Happines Report.

The World Happiness Report 2016, released by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network in collaboration with Gallup, provides a comprehensive assessment of global well-being. This edition introduces the concept of “happiness inequality,” emphasizing that societies with more equitable distributions of well-being tend to have higher average happiness levels. The report continues to assess happiness based on factors such as GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and perceptions of corruption.

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Definitions
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Details

Year	Rank	Country	Ladder score (Happiness)
2,015	1	Denmark	7.53
2,015	2	Switzerland	7.51
2,015	3	Iceland	7.50
2,015	4	Norway	7.50
2,015	5	Finland	7.41
2,015	6	Canada	7.40
2,015	7	Netherlands	7.34
2,015	8	New Zealand	7.33
2,015	9	Australia	7.31
2,015	10	Sweden	7.29
2,015	11	Israel	7.27
2,015	12	Austria	7.12
2,015	13	United States	7.10
2,015	14	Costa Rica	7.09
2,015	15	Puerto Rico	7.04
2,015	16	Germany	6.99
2,015	17	Brazil	6.95
2,015	18	Belgium	6.93
2,015	19	Ireland	6.91
2,015	20	Luxembourg	6.87
2,015	21	Mexico	6.78
2,015	22	Singapore	6.74
2,015	23	United Kingdom	6.73
2,015	24	Chile	6.71
2,015	25	Panama	6.70
2,015	26	Argentina	6.65
2,015	27	Czechia	6.60
2,015	28	United Arab Emirates	6.57
2,015	29	Uruguay	6.55
2,015	30	Malta	6.49
2,015	31	Colombia	6.48
2,015	32	France	6.48
2,015	33	Thailand	6.47
2,015	34	Saudi Arabia	6.38
2,015	35	Taiwan Province of China	6.38
2,015	36	Qatar	6.38
2,015	37	Spain	6.36
2,015	38	Algeria	6.36
2,015	39	Guatemala	6.32
2,015	40	Suriname	6.27
2,015	41	Kuwait	6.24
2,015	42	Bahrain	6.22
2,015	43	Trinidad and Tobago	6.17
2,015	44	Venezuela	6.08
2,015	45	Slovakia	6.08
2,015	46	El Salvador	6.07
2,015	47	Malaysia	6.01
2,015	48	Nicaragua	5.99
2,015	49	Uzbekistan	5.99
2,015	50	Italy	5.98
2,015	51	Ecuador	5.98
2,015	52	Belize	5.96
2,015	53	Japan	5.92
2,015	54	Kazakhstan	5.92
2,015	55	Republic of Moldova	5.90
2,015	56	Russian Federation	5.86
2,015	57	Poland	5.84
2,015	58	Republic of Korea	5.84
2,015	59	Bolivia	5.82
2,015	60	Lithuania	5.81
2,015	61	Belarus	5.80
2,015	62	North Cyprus	5.77
2,015	63	Slovenia	5.77
2,015	64	Peru	5.74
2,015	65	Turkmenistan	5.66
2,015	66	Mauritius	5.65
2,015	67	Libya	5.62
2,015	68	Latvia	5.56
2,015	69	Cyprus	5.55
2,015	70	Paraguay	5.54
2,015	71	Romania	5.53
2,015	72	Estonia	5.52
2,015	73	Jamaica	5.51
2,015	74	Croatia	5.49
2,015	75	Hong Kong SAR of China	5.46
2,015	76	Somalia	5.44
2,015	77	Kosovo	5.40
2,015	78	Türkiye	5.39
2,015	79	Indonesia	5.31
2,015	80	Jordan	5.30
2,015	81	Azerbaijan	5.29
2,015	82	Philippines	5.28
2,015	83	China	5.25
2,015	84	Bhutan	5.20
2,015	85	Kyrgyzstan	5.19
2,015	86	Serbia	5.18
2,015	87	Bosnia and Herzegovina	5.16
2,015	88	Montenegro	5.16
2,015	89	Dominican Republic	5.16
2,015	90	Morocco	5.15
2,015	91	Hungary	5.15
2,015	92	Pakistan	5.13
2,015	93	Lebanon	5.13
2,015	94	Portugal	5.12
2,015	95	North Macedonia	5.12
2,015	96	Viet Nam	5.06
2,015	97	Somaliland Region	5.06
2,015	98	Tunisia	5.05
2,015	99	Greece	5.03
2,015	100	Tajikistan	5.00
2,015	101	Mongolia	4.91
2,015	102	Lao PDR	4.88
2,015	103	Nigeria	4.88
2,015	104	Honduras	4.87
2,015	105	Iran	4.81
2,015	106	Zambia	4.80
2,015	107	Nepal	4.79
2,015	108	State of Palestine	4.75
2,015	109	Albania	4.66
2,015	110	Bangladesh	4.64
2,015	111	Sierra Leone	4.64
2,015	112	Iraq	4.58
2,015	113	Namibia	4.57
2,015	114	Cameroon	4.51
2,015	115	Ethiopia	4.51
2,015	116	South Africa	4.46
2,015	117	Sri Lanka	4.42
2,015	118	India	4.40
2,015	119	Myanmar	4.40
2,015	120	Egypt	4.36
2,015	121	Armenia	4.36
2,015	122	Kenya	4.36
2,015	123	Ukraine	4.32
2,015	124	Ghana	4.28
2,015	125	DR Congo	4.27
2,015	126	Georgia	4.25
2,015	127	Congo	4.24
2,015	128	Senegal	4.22
2,015	129	Bulgaria	4.22
2,015	130	Mauritania	4.20
2,015	131	Zimbabwe	4.19
2,015	132	Malawi	4.16
2,015	133	Sudan	4.14
2,015	134	Gabon	4.12
2,015	135	Mali	4.07
2,015	136	Haiti	4.03
2,015	137	Botswana	3.97
2,015	138	Comoros	3.96
2,015	139	Côte d’Ivoire	3.92
2,015	140	Cambodia	3.91
2,015	141	Angola	3.87
2,015	142	Niger	3.86
2,015	143	South Sudan	3.83
2,015	144	Chad	3.76
2,015	145	Burkina Faso	3.74
2,015	146	Uganda	3.74
2,015	147	Yemen	3.72
2,015	148	Madagascar	3.70
2,015	149	Tanzania	3.67
2,015	150	Liberia	3.62
2,015	151	Guinea	3.61
2,015	152	Rwanda	3.52
2,015	153	Benin	3.48
2,015	154	Afghanistan	3.36
2,015	155	Togo	3.30
2,015	156	Syria	3.07
2,015	157	Burundi	2.91

Rank – Country rank by happiness.
Country – Country Name.
Ladder score – The main happiness measure, based on the Cantril ladder where people rate their life on a scale from 0 (worst possible life) to 10 (best possible life).

Source	https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2025/#appendices-and-data
Geo	Global
Entries	157
Columns	3
Date Sourced	2025
Last Updated	Mar 22, 2025

Insights

Use Cases

Denmark reclaimed the top position in the 2016 rankings with a score of 7.526, reflecting its strong performance across all key indicators, including income, social support, and governance. The top ten countries are predominantly Nordic nations, highlighting the effectiveness of their social models in promoting well-being.

In contrast, Burundi ranked lowest at 157th with a score of 2.905, underscoring the challenges faced by countries with low income, limited social support, and political instability.

Access the full report here: World Happiness Report 2016.

Top 10 Happiest Countries in 2016:

Denmark - 7.53
Switzerland - 7.51
Iceland - 7.50
Norway - 7.50
Finland - 7.41
Canada - 7.40
Netherlands - 7.34
New Zealand - 7.33
Australia - 7.31
Sweden - 7.29

Bottom 10 Happiest Countries in 2016:

Burundi - 2.91
Syria - 3.07
Togo - 3.30
Afghanistan - 3.36
Benin - 3.48
Rwanda - 3.52
Guinea - 3.61
Liberia - 3.62
Tanzania - 3.67
Madagascar - 3.70

Education & Research

Curriculum Development: Integrate findings into courses on sociology, psychology, and public health to discuss the impact of social connections on well-being.
Further Research: Investigate the causal relationships between communal activities and happiness levels across different cultures.

Policy Making

Community Programs: Develop initiatives that encourage communal dining and social gatherings to strengthen community bonds.
Mental Health Services: Address the rising trend of social isolation, especially among youth, by providing accessible mental health resources.

Media & Journalism

Public Awareness: Highlight stories that showcase acts of kindness and community support to foster a more optimistic societal outlook.
Data Visualisation: Create infographics and interactive content to present the report's findings in an engaging manner.

General Public

Community Engagement: Participate in local events, volunteer opportunities, and communal meals to enhance personal well-being.
Foster Trust: Recognise and appreciate acts of kindness in daily life, contributing to a more trusting and connected community.

World Happiness Report - 2016

Education & Research

Policy Making

Media & Journalism

General Public

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