Singapore has fallen to 34th place in the World Happiness Report, relinquishing its title as Asia's happiest country. According to the latest report jointly released by the University of Oxford, Gallup, and the United Nations, Singapore dropped four places from its 30th position last year, marking its lowest ranking since 2017.
The report comprehensively evaluated 147 countries based on various indicators, including social support, GDP per capita, life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and perceived corruption. While Singapore still scored high in some areas, such as low corruption rates and high charitable contributions, low evaluations in social support and personal freedom were identified as key factors contributing to the overall ranking decline.
In contrast, Taiwan rose to 27th place, showing a contrasting trend. This suggests that Taiwan received higher evaluations in social support and personal freedom compared to Singapore.
Significant ranking changes were also observed in neighboring countries. Thailand ranked 49th, the Philippines 57th, Malaysia 64th, and Indonesia 83rd. Notably, Vietnam surged from 96th in 2015 to 46th last year, emerging as the most remarkable country in Asia for happiness index improvement.
The report warns of increasing anxiety and stress among young generations worldwide, along with a growing sense of social disconnection. Researchers emphasized the importance of social bonds, citing examples of countries with strong community ties, such as Costa Rica and Mexico, achieving high happiness indices despite lower GDPs. Both countries entered the top 10.
Meanwhile, Finland was ranked the world's happiest country for the eighth consecutive year, followed by Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
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