Picture used for illustrative purposes.

Khansa Al Zubair, Staff Reporter

The UAE has ranked the 22nd globally and the second in the region in the World Happiness Report-2024, which was released on 20 March, coinciding with the International Day of Happiness. Interestingly, the elderly were the happiest group in the country. This is a testament to the UAE's commitment to promoting happiness and well-being for all its citizens.

The UAE scored an impressive 6.733 in average life evaluation, based on data from Gallup Polls, the primary source for the World Happiness Report, with a confidence range of 14-29 out of 95 per cent. The organisation conducts public opinion polls on US elections in 140 countries and is widely trusted.

Finland has been ranked the happiest country in the world for the seventh consecutive year in the annual ranking of the world’s happiest countries. Denmark came in the second place globally, followed by Iceland and then Sweden in the fourth place.

Kuwait ranked as the happiest country in the Arabian Gulf region, and the 13th globally. It's the country's first entry into the global top 20 and a huge jump for the Gulf nation which ranked 50th in the world last year. It was followed by the UAE as the second happiest Gulf country, followed by Saudi Arabia, while Bahrain ranked the third. 

The level of happiness is determined by the evaluation of life and feelings across different age groups and generations. Three age groups were assessed for changes in these scales: those aged 30 years and below, those aged 60 years and above, and the middle-aged group, which was further divided into two subgroups: 30-44 and 45-59.

Countries are ranked based on their average life ratings from 2021 to 2023.

Happiness scores are determined by individuals' own evaluations of their lives, primarily through their responses to the Cantril Scale's one-item life assessment question. This question measures people's well-being and suffering, making it a reliable indicator of overall happiness.

It clearly compares country rankings for each age group to demonstrate significant changes in life assessments at different age-groups from the base period (2006-2010) to the last three years (2021-2023).

The group of countries that includes the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand has experienced a significant decline in happiness levels. It is worth noting that young people report being twice as unhappy as older people are. Additionally, the United States has dropped to 23rd place.

Happiness in the MENA region has decreased over the last three years compared to 2006-2010. However, it is important to note that the decline has been more significant among middle-aged groups than among the elderly and youth.