UN World Happiness Report- 2020

Prelims level : International Organisations Mains level : GS-II Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector or Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
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Why in News?

  • The United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network recently released the World Happiness Report on the occasion of the World Happiness Day (March 20) which was designated by the UN General Assembly in 2012.

About the World Happiness Report:

  • The World Happiness Report ranks 156 countries by how happy their citizens perceive themselves to be.
  • The rankings are based on polling (Gallup World Poll) which looks at six variables: GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and absence of corruption.
  • The 2020 Report for the first time ranked cities around the world by their subjective well-being and looked into how the social, urban and natural environments combine to affect happiness.

About Sustainable Development Solutions Network:

  • The SDSN, launched in 2012, mobilizes global scientific and technological expertise to promote practical problem solving for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement.
  • It was established under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary-General.
  • The SDSN and the Bertelsmann Stiftung have been publishing the annual SDG Index & Dashboards Global Report since 2016.

Highlights of the Report:

  • Top Performers
    • Finland is ranked as the world’s happiest nation for the Third Consecutive Year.
    • Nordic states dominated the top 10, along with countries such as Switzerland, New Zealand and Austria.
    • Luxembourg edged into the 10th spot for the first time this year.
  • Worst Performers
    • The countries at the bottom are those afflicted by violent conflicts and extreme poverty, with Zimbabwe, South Sudan and Afghanistan classified as the world’s least happy nations.
  • India’s Performance
    • India previously ranked at 140 dropped to 144.
    • Its rank is way lower than its neighbours. Nepal is ranked 92; Pakistan is at 66, Bangladesh at 107 and Sri Lanka at 130.
    • India is a new entrant to the bottom-fifteen group.
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