Norway was named the happiest country in the 2017 World Happiness Report by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). In this research, Norway achieved a score of 7.537 (on a scale of 0-10), jumping from fourth place the previous year to the top spot.
Denmark ranked second with a score of 7.522, followed by Iceland in third place with 7.504, Switzerland in fourth with 7.494, and Finland in fifth with 7.494. Four Scandinavian countries achieved the highest scores due to similar standards of living and governance. Of the top ten happiest countries, Europe dominated with seven entries; the other three were Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
The happiness index was assessed using indicators such as gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, life expectancy, social support, trust levels (measured by the corruption perceptions index), social care levels (measured by the percentage of charitable donations), and freedom to make life choices.
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