The 2024 World Happiness Report has revealed that Singapore is the happiest country in Asia for the second consecutive year. This city-state secured the 30th spot out of 143 places surveyed in the study. Finland clinched the top position, closely followed by Denmark and Iceland. The happiness rankings in this report are based on data collected from the Gallup World Poll. The study took into account individuals’ average life evaluations from 2021 to 2023.
The report delves into six key factors that contribute to happiness, including GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom, generosity, and perception of corruption. These factors shed light on the varying qualities of life across nations and provide valuable insights into why people rate their lives the way they do. Organizations like the World Bank, the World Health Organization, and the Gallup World Poll were instrumental in gathering data for the report.
Singapore excelled in terms of GDP per capita, ranking among the highest in the dataset. The city-state also scored well in its perception of corruption, with the lowest level among all countries surveyed. This demonstrates the cleanliness of Singapore’s government and its low tolerance for corruption, even surpassing countries like Denmark and Norway. Despite these achievements, Singapore fell short in terms of perceived social support, freedom to make life choices, and generosity. This highlights areas where the country can improve to enhance overall happiness levels.
Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, Director of the Wellbeing Research Centre at Oxford University, noted that Singapore is underperforming given its objective indicators. Despite having high levels of GDP per capita and healthy life expectancy, Singapore lags behind in social support, freedom, and generosity. De Neve called upon the Singaporean government and its people to leverage the city-state’s success to enhance overall quality of life. He challenged them to explore ways of improving happiness levels and maximizing the potential of the nation.
In contrast to Singapore, India, the world’s most populous nation, ranked 126th out of 143 places surveyed in the report. This position underscores the challenges faced by a large population and the need for improvement in various aspects to enhance the happiness and wellbeing of its people.
Overall, the 2024 World Happiness Report provides valuable insights into the factors influencing happiness across nations. While Singapore emerges as a shining example in Asia, there are clear areas for improvement that can further elevate the country’s happiness levels. By addressing these challenges and seizing opportunities for growth, Singapore can continue to lead the way in fostering a happier and more fulfilling society.
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