芬兰人又迎来了美好的一天。
芬兰连续第八年在《世界幸福报告》(World Happiness Report)年度榜单中摘得桂冠。这份于联合国“国际幸福日”发布的报告,基于对140余个国家和地区居民生活质量的评分分析。评分采用10分制(满分为理想中的最佳生活状态),芬兰以7.74分的平均分位居榜首。
牛津大学经济学教授、幸福研究中心(Wellbeing Research Centre)主任兼《世界幸福报告》编辑简-伊曼纽尔·德内夫对《财富》杂志表示:“他们拥有财富、健康、社会关系网络、社会保障,以及与自然的深度联结。芬兰人并非在街头载歌载舞的狂欢型民族,但他们对生活现状深感满足。"
排在芬兰之后的其他国家分别是丹麦(第2位)、冰岛(第3位)、瑞典(第4位)和荷兰(第5位)。墨西哥(第10位)与哥斯达黎加(第6位)首次跻身十强,而美国则跌至历史最低位第24名。去年,美国自2012年榜单创立以来首度滑出前20名。
传统领跑的北欧国家幸福感持续攀升,美国却呈反向走势。尽管北欧国家与美国、澳大利亚、英国的人均GDP相近,但财富分配机制令其形成鲜明对比。
德内夫表示:“在这些北欧斯堪的纳维亚国家,经济发展惠及全民,经济不平等程度显著较低,这同样体现在国民福祉当中。芬兰多数人自评生活满意度为7分或8分,而美国人的幸福感分布呈现两极:既有大量10分,也不乏大量1分。”
虽然榜单分析纳入了各国的人均GDP、财富分配和人均预期寿命等指标,但研究发现社会信任与人际联结对幸福感的决定作用远超人们想象。
今年,研究人员发现,个人对他人善意的信任度与其主观幸福感之间呈现出极强的相关性。一般而言,人们往往会低估他人的善意,例如认为钱包丢失后能物归原主的概率较低。这种认知会影响幸福感。实际上,钱包物归原主的概率几乎是公众预期的两倍。相较美国,更多北欧民众相信遗失钱包会被归还(且更多人会主动归还)。
德内夫指出:“对他人善意的信任度或者说社会信任度越高,个人与集体的幸福感就越强。北欧国家,或者斯堪的纳维亚国家,在信任度与真实归还率两个维度均表现优异。”
报告发现,维系强烈社区意识的行为,如定期聚餐等,能有效提升社会信任与幸福感。
对于墨西哥与哥斯达黎加首度入围十强,德内夫归因于两国坚实的社会凝聚力。数据显示,拉美国家共享用餐的频次全球最高,社会联结度与信任度评分突出。这解释了为何在新冠疫情隔离期间这两个国家的排名下滑更显著(德内夫指出,每周14次共享用餐中,有13次共享用餐与最高水平的幸福感存在关联性)。
德内夫强调:“这两个国家并非凭借高GDP或最长人均寿命登榜。他们花时间聚餐会友,社交生活未被社交媒体侵蚀——我们从数据中可以看出这些特点。”
该年度报告由牛津大学(University of Oxford)幸福研究中心联合盖洛普(Gallup)、联合国可持续发展解决方案网络(UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network)等机构共同发布,并由编委会无偿提供数据分析。
在探究芬兰持续领跑的原因时,德内夫发现了该国相较于其他北欧邻邦的独特优势。
他表示:“他们知足常乐。物质相对匮乏反而让他们更容易知足。芬兰人更懂得珍惜现有的一切。”
以下是全球十大最幸福国家
1.芬兰
2.丹麦
3.冰岛
4.瑞典
5.荷兰
6.哥斯达黎加
7.挪威
8.以色列
9.卢森堡
10.墨西哥(财富中文网)
译者:刘进龙
审校:汪皓
芬兰人又迎来了美好的一天。
芬兰连续第八年在《世界幸福报告》(World Happiness Report)年度榜单中摘得桂冠。这份于联合国“国际幸福日”发布的报告,基于对140余个国家和地区居民生活质量的评分分析。评分采用10分制(满分为理想中的最佳生活状态),芬兰以7.74分的平均分位居榜首。
牛津大学经济学教授、幸福研究中心(Wellbeing Research Centre)主任兼《世界幸福报告》编辑简-伊曼纽尔·德内夫对《财富》杂志表示:“他们拥有财富、健康、社会关系网络、社会保障,以及与自然的深度联结。芬兰人并非在街头载歌载舞的狂欢型民族,但他们对生活现状深感满足。"
排在芬兰之后的其他国家分别是丹麦(第2位)、冰岛(第3位)、瑞典(第4位)和荷兰(第5位)。墨西哥(第10位)与哥斯达黎加(第6位)首次跻身十强,而美国则跌至历史最低位第24名。去年,美国自2012年榜单创立以来首度滑出前20名。
传统领跑的北欧国家幸福感持续攀升,美国却呈反向走势。尽管北欧国家与美国、澳大利亚、英国的人均GDP相近,但财富分配机制令其形成鲜明对比。
德内夫表示:“在这些北欧斯堪的纳维亚国家,经济发展惠及全民,经济不平等程度显著较低,这同样体现在国民福祉当中。芬兰多数人自评生活满意度为7分或8分,而美国人的幸福感分布呈现两极:既有大量10分,也不乏大量1分。”
虽然榜单分析纳入了各国的人均GDP、财富分配和人均预期寿命等指标,但研究发现社会信任与人际联结对幸福感的决定作用远超人们想象。
今年,研究人员发现,个人对他人善意的信任度与其主观幸福感之间呈现出极强的相关性。一般而言,人们往往会低估他人的善意,例如认为钱包丢失后能物归原主的概率较低。这种认知会影响幸福感。实际上,钱包物归原主的概率几乎是公众预期的两倍。相较美国,更多北欧民众相信遗失钱包会被归还(且更多人会主动归还)。
德内夫指出:“对他人善意的信任度或者说社会信任度越高,个人与集体的幸福感就越强。北欧国家,或者斯堪的纳维亚国家,在信任度与真实归还率两个维度均表现优异。”
报告发现,维系强烈社区意识的行为,如定期聚餐等,能有效提升社会信任与幸福感。
对于墨西哥与哥斯达黎加首度入围十强,德内夫归因于两国坚实的社会凝聚力。数据显示,拉美国家共享用餐的频次全球最高,社会联结度与信任度评分突出。这解释了为何在新冠疫情隔离期间这两个国家的排名下滑更显著(德内夫指出,每周14次共享用餐中,有13次共享用餐与最高水平的幸福感存在关联性)。
德内夫强调:“这两个国家并非凭借高GDP或最长人均寿命登榜。他们花时间聚餐会友,社交生活未被社交媒体侵蚀——我们从数据中可以看出这些特点。”
该年度报告由牛津大学(University of Oxford)幸福研究中心联合盖洛普(Gallup)、联合国可持续发展解决方案网络(UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network)等机构共同发布,并由编委会无偿提供数据分析。
在探究芬兰持续领跑的原因时,德内夫发现了该国相较于其他北欧邻邦的独特优势。
他表示:“他们知足常乐。物质相对匮乏反而让他们更容易知足。芬兰人更懂得珍惜现有的一切。”
以下是全球十大最幸福国家
1.芬兰
2.丹麦
3.冰岛
4.瑞典
5.荷兰
6.哥斯达黎加
7.挪威
8.以色列
9.卢森堡
10.墨西哥(财富中文网)
译者:刘进龙
审校:汪皓
It’s a good day to be a Finn—again.
For the 8th successive year, Finland ranks no.1 on the annual World Happiness Report. The report, published on the UN’s International Day of Happiness, is based on analysis of how the residents of over 140 countries rate their quality of life. With 10 meaning someone is currently living the best possible life they can imagine, Finns came in first with an average score of 7.74.
“They’re wealthy, they’re healthy, have social connections, social support, [and] a connection with nature,” Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, professor of economics at the University of Oxford, leader of the Wellbeing Research Centre and editor of The World Happiness Report, tells Fortune. “They’re not happy, joyful, dancing in the streets type people, but they’re very content with their lives.”
Finland was followed by Denmark (no.2), Iceland (no.3), Sweden (no.4), and the Netherlands (no.5). While Mexico (no.10) and Costa Rica (no.6) joined the top 10 for the first time in the list’s history, the U.S. dropped to its lowest ranking at no. 24. Last year, the U.S. dropped out of the top 20 for the first time since the 2012 inaugural list.
The Nordic countries, historically at the top, are getting happier while the U.S. is getting less happy. While GDP per capita is relatively similar across the Nordic countries, the U.S., Australia, and the UK, the distribution of wealth sets them apart.
“In these Nordic Scandinavian countries, a rising tide lifts all boats, so the levels of economic inequality are much less, and that reflects in well-being as well,” De Neve says. “In Finland, most people will rate themselves as seven or an eight, whereas if you look at the distribution of well-being in the States, there’s a lot of 10s out there, but there’s a lot of ones as well.”
While the ranking’s analysis factored in a country’s GDP per capita, wealth distribution, and life expectancy, researchers found social trust and connection help determine happiness more than people may think.
This year, the researchers found a strong correlation between someone believing in the kindness of others and their own perceived happiness. Across the board, too often, people underestimate the kindness of others, like, say, if someone will return a lost wallet. It affects well-being. Wallets are returned to their owner at almost twice the rate people assume. However, compared to the U.S., more people in Nordic countries believe a lost wallet will be returned (and more people are likely to return it).
“The more you believe in the kindness of others, or in other words, are socially trusting, the higher your individual well-being and the higher collective well-being,” De Neve says. “The Nordic countries, the Scandinavian countries, do better, both in the belief in others’ kindness and in the actual wallet drop.”
Maintaining a strong sense of community with acts such as regularly dining with others, for example, improves social trust and happiness, the report found.
As for Mexico and Costa Rica joining the top 10 for the first in the list’s history, De Neve points to the strength of the countries’ social fabrics. Latin American countries reported the highest number of shared meals and ranked high on social connectedness and trust. It helps explain why their rankings dipped more dramatically in the COVID-19 isolation years (De Neve says that 13 out of 14 meals shared across seven days correlated to the highest well-being measure).
“It is not because of high GDP and the highest life expectancy,” De Neve says about these two countries. “They do spend time dining and lunching with others, having friends, and it’s not all cannibalized by social media, and so we picked this up in the data.”
The report is published yearly by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, alongside partners, including Gallup, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and an editorial board that analyzes the findings pro bono.
As De Neve dug into why Finland kept its reign, something else came to light that helped them stand out even from their Nordic counterparts.
“They’re content with less,” he says. “They had less, and they’re more content with less. They’re happier with what they’ve got.”
Here are the world’s 10 happiest countries
1. Finland
2. Denmark
3. Iceland
4. Sweden
5. Netherlands
6. Costa Rica
7. Norway
8. Israel
9. Luxembourg
10. Mexico