The 10 happiest countries in the world, according to the United Nations.

A ranking of happiness that has been elaborated from different indicators.

Experts from the United Nations (UN) have (UN) have prepared a document in which different variables related to the well-being and development of the different countries of the world are measured. This has been called the World Happiness Report 2015, has been carried out since 2012 and includes a total of 158 countries.

The well-being (or perception of well-being) of a country's citizens is recognized as a measure of social progress and the success of public policies. Many (though not all) governments, both local and national, use this data and research to pursue policies that help their citizens live better lives.

United Nations: what is it?

The UN is an international organization of sovereign states, composed of virtually all the countries of the world. It was created on October 24, 1945 in San Francisco (United States) when representatives of 51 countries met at the United Nations Conference to draft the Charter of the United Nations.

This organization aims to contribute to the stabilization of international relations and to give greater consistency to peace in the world.. At present, the UN has 193 member countries and has the following objectives:

• To maintain peace throughout the world
• To foster friendly relations among nations
• To collaborate to help the poor to get out of poverty, to fight hunger, diseases, illiteracy, and to encourage respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all.
• To be a center that helps nations achieve their goals.

Which are the countries with the greatest happiness?

The World Happiness Report 2015 is a research study produced by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), and it measures the well-being of the citizens of different countries according to a series of statistical variables and individual perceptions.

Spain is ranked 36th in the World Happiness Report 2015.

The first World Happiness Report was published April 2012, the second in 2013 and this last one in 2015. According to the latest report (which collects data from 2014), Spain is ranked 36th with a total of 6,329 points. The ranking is led by Switzerland, which obtained a total of 7,587 points. The list of the happiest countries in the world also shows the unhappiest countries, which are: Togo, Burundi and Syria.

Some variables measured by the World Happiness Report

In order to draw up the list of the happiest countries in the world, various data related to levels of economic development, but also other variables of a subjective nature, have been analyzed. levels of economic development, but also other variables that have a subjective character, such as the positive and negative experiences expressed by the population, following different patterns by sex, gender, age and gender identity.The different variables used to compile the list of the happiest countries in the world have been analyzed, such as the positive and negative experiences expressed by the population, following different patterns by sex, age and region.

The different variables used for this study can be seen in different colors in this image. The final result comes from the data collected from the various sources and surveys.

These are the data taken into account to list the happiest countries in the world:

• Gross domestic product per capita: It is based on purchasing power parity (PPP), i.e. the final sum of quantities of goods and services produced in a country, at the monetary value of a reference country. In this case adjusted to dollars (World Bank data).
• Social support: The opportunity to receive help from family or friends in case of problems (Gallup survey data).
• Life expectancy: Life expectancy: according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
• Freedom to make life choices (Gallup survey data): in life (Gallup Poll data).
• Generosity: How much money is donated to NGOs.
• Perception of corruption: Citizens' perceptions of government and business.
• Positive affect: Positive affection: refers to how much people laugh according to the survey (Gallup Poll data).
• Negative affect: negative affect: refers to the perception of sadness and anger (Gallup survey data).

The gray bar is labeled "Dystopia". It refers to a hypothetical country that would be the saddest, with the maximum value of the sum of the lowest negative scores. That is, it would be the most corrupt country, with the saddest people, with the lowest life expectancy, etc. The longer the bar, the further away from this hypothetical negative country is the state being analyzed.

The list of the 10 happiest countries in the world

Here is the list of the 10 happiest countries in the world:

1. Switzerland

The Alpine country has a cohesive society, open to the world, which allows it to lead this ranking.

2. Iceland

Despite the tremendous cold that bathes the Icelandic territory, this small Atlantic country is second on the list.

3. Denmark

A beautiful, welcoming country with a high standard of living. Denmark makes the podium.

4. Norway

The first four happy countries are located in the old continent: Europe.

5. Canada

The first American country on the list. And this is not surprising, considering the high rate of development, its anti-war policies and a cohesive and open society.

6. Finland

The Scandinavian countries are fully represented. Finland is also on the list.

7. The Netherlands

A flat territory where people travel by bicycle and respect the ecology.

8. Sweden

It is well known that the Nordic countries have a very high standard of living. Sweden is the eighth-ranked country.

9. New Zealand

The continent of Oceania has its first representation with the islands of New Zealand. New Zealand.

10. Australia

Oceania repeats: Australia is the country that closes this list of the happiest countries on the planet.

Consult the UN report

You can consult the complete UN report by clicking on this link.