2023 World Happiness Report- Singapore and Taiwan ranked happiest in Eastern Asia

[ملكة كرينجيتوك]

If SnowLabrador can spam Int'l GD with threads on Boba Island, so can I.

Singapore and Taiwan are among the happiest countries in East Asia, according to the 2023 World Happiness Report released by the United Nations (U.N.) Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

Released on Monday, the report was compiled based on global survey data from people in more than 150 countries and territories to measure happiness based on average life evaluations over a three-year period.

As for Asian countries, Singapore ranked as the 25th happiest country in the world, followed by the United Arab Emirates at 26 and Taiwan at 27.

Overall, Taiwan placed first in East Asia and fourth place in Asia, which matches its ranking last year when it also took the fourth spot in Asia after Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

Other ranked Asian countries include, but are not limited to, Japan at No. 47, Malaysia at 55, Thailand at 60, Mongolia at 61, China at 64, Vietnam at 65, the Philippines at 76, Nepal at 78, Hong Kong SAR at 82, Indonesia at 83, Laos at 89, Pakistan at 108, Myanmar at 117, Bangladesh at 118 and India at 126.

source- actual rankings start on page 36

[Blue3]

Seems to be a link to economic prosperity and pressure from government to vote their country the best.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

South Korea being at number 57 is a bit higher than expected.

[Meclazine for Israel]

Was the happiness measured across 4 billion people using a standardised test?

[CumbrianLefty]

To ask the obvious, how do you reliably measure "happiness" anyway?

[ملكة كرينجيتوك]

South Korea being at number 57 is a bit higher than expected.

What would you have expected given Japan was #47?

Was the happiness measured across 4 billion people using a standardised test?

To ask the obvious, how do you reliably measure "happiness" anyway?

Bookmarked the report to read more thoroughly at some point.

So in this year’s report, we ask the following questions:
1. What is the consensus view about measuring national happiness, and what kinds of behaviour does it require of individuals and institutions? (Chapter 1)
2. How have trust and benevolence saved lives and supported happiness over the past three years of COVID-19 and other crises?
(Chapter 2)
3. What is state effectiveness and how does it affect human happiness? (Chapter 3)
4. How does altruistic behaviour by individuals affect their own happiness, that of the recipient, and the overall happiness of society? (Chapter 4)
5. How well does social media data enable us to measure the prevailing levels of happiness and distress? (Chapter 5)
In short, our answers are these.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

South Korea being at number 57 is a bit higher than expected.

What would you have expected given Japan was #47?

Was the happiness measured across 4 billion people using a standardised test?

To ask the obvious, how do you reliably measure "happiness" anyway?

Bookmarked the report to read more thoroughly at some point.

So in this year’s report, we ask the following questions:
1. What is the consensus view about measuring national happiness, and what kinds of behaviour does it require of individuals and institutions? (Chapter 1)
2. How have trust and benevolence saved lives and supported happiness over the past three years of COVID-19 and other crises?
(Chapter 2)
3. What is state effectiveness and how does it affect human happiness? (Chapter 3)
4. How does altruistic behaviour by individuals affect their own happiness, that of the recipient, and the overall happiness of society? (Chapter 4)
5. How well does social media data enable us to measure the prevailing levels of happiness and distress? (Chapter 5)
In short, our answers are these.

I would have expected something like a #70 or so ranking.
Considering South Korea has some of the same issues as India, which is as low as it is (due to severe competition-related issues and all) and the turbulent social issues of the country (as can be hinted at by things like Squid Game), i felt it might have left a mark. It probably did, but not as much as I expected.
Perhaps the biggest issue here is the lense by which I see South Korea - corporate republic with toxic cultural issues distracting from surprisingly difficult living conditions than you would expect based just off GDP per capita (compare its fertility rate to, say, Japan, for example). The reality might be a bit more nuanced than that?

[ملكة كرينجيتوك]

South Korea being at number 57 is a bit higher than expected.

What would you have expected given Japan was #47?

I would have expected something like a #70 or so ranking.
Considering South Korea has some of the same issues as India, which is as low as it is (due to severe competition-related issues and all) and the turbulent social issues of the country (as can be hinted at by things like Squid Game), i felt it might have left a mark. It probably did, but not as much as I expected.
Perhaps the biggest issue here is the lense by which I see South Korea - corporate republic with toxic cultural issues distracting from surprisingly difficult living conditions than you would expect based just off GDP per capita (compare its fertility rate to, say, Japan, for example). The reality might be a bit more nuanced than that?

You can also say that about a lot of countries, particularly the US (#15) and Singapore (#25- with the caveat that they didn't have data for 2022).

Finland (#1) was at 7.8, Australia (#12) and Canada (#13) were both around 7.0. Taiwan was a little over 6.5, Mexico was around 6.3, Japan and Brazil were around 6.1, China and Vietnam were both around 5.8, Russia rounded up to 5.7, and Hong Kong was at at 5.3... similar to Indonesia and South Africa.

I find it interesting that India (4.0) scored noticeably lower than both Pakistan (4.5) and Bangladesh (4.3).

[ملكة كرينجيتوك]

Findings in map form. Didn't make the map; I would've named 'East Asia' something else.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Afghans are the least happy worldwide.

No sh**t.

[CumbrianLefty]

Afghans are the least happy worldwide.

No sh**t.

They could always do something about it, but most of them seem at least reasonably content to live under medieval savages - so we are where we are.

Not that surprising that Finland is the most happy either.

[GeneralMacArthur]

Top 10:

Finland
Denmark
Iceland
Israel
The Netherlands
Sweden
Norway
Switzerland
Luxembourg
New Zealand


I will never understand why these Scandinavians are so damn happy all the time.  They have to deal with the most miserable weather, they only get like 6 hours of sunlight a day most of the year, and in the summer you can't even step outside without being plagued by swarms of mosquitos everywhere.

[Red Velvet]

Useless. Another one for that series of “Always the same map” lmao. What’s the point of this stuff?

Like, if you’re gonna make a map that associates happiness with standard of living, why not just make a standard of living one instead of one that describes this as “happiness”?

Like, any map that names Chileans as 2nd most happy in South America totally don’t know what they’re talking about. 2nd more developed in comparison to Uruguay I can buy, but absolutely not the 2nd happiest lol

[CumbrianLefty]

I mean, this is people of the countries concerned being polled? So take it up with Chileans or whoever.

[Blue3]

Top 10:

Finland
Denmark
Iceland
Israel
The Netherlands
Sweden
Norway
Switzerland
Luxembourg
New Zealand


I will never understand why these Scandinavians are so damn happy all the time.  They have to deal with the most miserable weather, they only get like 6 hours of sunlight a day most of the year, and in the summer you can't even step outside without being plagued by swarms of mosquitos everywhere.

They’re rich, and they redistribute their wealth into social support systems. Tougher weather and needing to collectively plan for harsh winters might have even helped develop those cultural and political habits of collective long-term planning too.

Also their happiness isn’t cheerfulness, as much as satisfaction/gratitude and kind of a stoic take.

Something from Anglo/Germanic cultures perhaps, since that accounts for like 9 out of those 10, and the definition of happiness is probably influenced heavily by researchers from those cultures too.