Canada Ranks 6th on UN World Happiness Report 2013

September 28, 2013
By Cody Battershill

Canada Places 6th on the World Happiness Report 2013 - Sponsored by the United Nations

Just how happy are Canadians? According to the World Happiness Report 2013 sponsored by the United Nations, Canada ranks in the top six for global happiness because of our high income levels, strong social ties and long life expectancy.

But wait – how does Canada’s cold weather play into the rankings? Well… according to the results of the survey, the cold only makes people happier. Take a look at the top 10 countries and you’ll be amazed. Now this claim doesn't have any scientific evidence to back it up - but hey, it’s a fun guess!

Denmark

Norway

Switzerland

Netherlands

Sweden

Canada

Finland

Austria

Iceland

Australia

The report also found people in the Caribbean and Latin America to be approximately 7 percent more happy than they were in 2007, while those living in Northern Africa and the Middle East are less content as they dropped around 12 percent in the rankings.

Some of the nations that dropped the most were those hit hard by the financial crisis in Europe such as Spain (38th), Italy (45th) and Greece (70th).

How Happiness is Evaluated

The World Happiness Report’s main source of information is from the Gallup World Poll, which is conducted in over 150 nations on an annual basis since 2005. The poll asks these people to rate their happiness using a scale from 1 to 10 – the higher the number the happier they are.

According to the report, there are six factors that are influential in splitting the top countries from the bottom. They include…

Perceived corruption in society

Freedom to make decisions

GDP per capita

Life expectancy

Kindness of other citizens in society

Being able to trust someone in troublesome situations

Another finding is that some of the happiest nations in the world are some of the most affluent. These countries are not as concerned about their income levels, a factor that plays into the report, than they are about other issues such as freedom.

Of all the nations involved in the survey, the average happiness level was just above the median at 5.1. Canadians scored 7.48, above our neighbours on the North American Continent - the United States sits at 7.082 (17th) with Mexico just ahead at 7.088 (16th).

The United Nations intends for the World Happiness Report 2013 to play into developmental goals for several years into the future.