Bahrain among top happiness gainers

TDT | Manama

While nations around the globe are reeling under the threat of the deadly coronavirus, finding a good cheer has become extremely hard. Experts at the United Nations though viewed it differently. They have asked about this to people from 156 countries around the world, evaluating their levels of happiness. Results were interesting, and measures such as GDP, social support, personal freedom and levels of corruption were employed. Based on which, the UN researchers ranked Bahrain as third among Arab states, and as one of the top 20 gainers in this year’s World Happiness Report.

“These changes are very large, especially for the ten most affected gainers and losers,” researchers say in the report which is also the eight since it began reporting happiness. The data for this year’s World Happiness Report was collected in 2018 and 2019 and is therefore not impacted by the widespread restrictions imposed by many countries to stem the spread of the new coronavirus. However, the report’s authors predict that the lockdown conditions many of the world’s residents are now living under could, paradoxically, boost happiness in future. Across Europe, people in isolation have come out onto their balconies to applaud health workers who are continuing to provide care throughout the coronavirus crisis, and neighbourhood help schemes have sprung up to deliver vital supplies to people unable to leave their homes. But the authors of the report warned that where a nation’s social fabric is not strong, “then fear, disappointment and anger add to the happiness costs of a disaster.”

Bahrain ranks third

This year’s report focuses especially on the environment – social, urban, and natural. On that basis, Bahrain is ranked third among Arab states and 40th on a global basis. Preceding Bahrain on the list from the GCC is the United Arab Emirates at 21st globally and Saudi Arabia at 27th.

The results were announced yesterday to coincide with International Day of Happiness. Among the 20 top gainers, all of which showed average ladder scores increasing by more than 0.75 points, ten are in the Commonwealth of the Independent States or Central and Eastern Europe, and six are in Sub-Saharan Africa. The other four are Bahrain, Malta, Nepal and the Philippines. The report which also ranks cities around the world based on current life evaluation places Manama at a rank of 61 on a global basis. Among the Gulf Cooperation Council nations, Manama is ranked fifth after Abu Dhabi — UAE (35th globally), Dubai — UAE (39), Jeddah — Saudi Arabia (59) and Kuwait City — Kuwait (60). Based on Future life evaluation, Manama is ranked 81 amongst top global cities. In the GCC, Manama is ranked 8th after Doha — Qatar (12 the globally), Jeddah — Saudi Arabia (13), Riyadh — Saudi Arabia (17), Dubai — UAE (21), Abu Dhabi — UAE (24), Mecca — Saudi Arabia (35), and Kuwait City — Kuwait (37). 

Finland happiest

Finland was declared to be the world’s happiest nation for the third year running. As in each of the previous seven reports, Nordic states dominated the top ten, along with countries such as Switzerland, New Zealand and Austria. Luxembourg also edged into the tenth spot for the first time this year.

The happiest countries are those “where people feel a sense of belonging, where they trust and enjoy each other and their shared institutions,” John Helliwell, one of the report’s authors, said in a statement. “There is also more resilience, because shared trust reduces the burden of hardships, and thereby lessens the inequality of well-being.” Meanwhile, the countries at the bottom of this year’s ranking are those afflicted by violent conflicts and extreme poverty, with Zimbabwe, South Sudan and Afghanistan classed as the world’s least happy countries. Finland’s top spot in the happiness list has previously been met with raised eyebrows in the country whose population of 5.5 million is said to shy away from spontaneous demonstrations of joy, valuing instead the quiet and solitude of the country’s vast forests and thousands of lakes. 

US 18th

The US is in 18th place, one spot higher than last year, although still well below its 11th place ranking in the first World Happiness Report. India has dropped down seven spots in the happiness rankings as compared to its 2018 ranking. The immediate neighbours of India including Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are way ahead in the happiness rankings. In this report, Pakistan stands at 67th rank, China at 93, Bhutan at 95, Nepal at 100, Bangladesh at 125 and Sri Lanka at 130, leaving India way behind. 

South Sudan unhappiest

South Sudan has topped the list of the unhappiest countries of the world. It is followed by the Central African Republic at 2nd spot, Afghanistan at 3rd and Tanzania, Rwanda, Yemen, Malawi, Syria, Botswana and Haiti, respectively at the next spots.