Bangladesh has been ranked as the 115th happiest country in the world in the
World Happiness Report 2018.
The country descended from last year's 110th position.
Among 156 countries this year, Sri Lanka has secured the 116th and India the 133rd spots. South Asian countries which secured better positions than Bangladesh include: Pakistan (75th), Bhutan (97th), and Nepal (101st).
Finland is the happiest country on earth while Norway and Denmark secured the second and third positions, respectively. Iceland, Switzerland, Netherlands, Canada, New Zealand, Sweden and Australia have been ranked beneath the three countries.
The report is prepared on the basis of six key variables: GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, social freedom, generosity, and absence of corruption.
Syria, Rwanda, Yemen, Tanzania, South Sudan, Central African Republic and Burundi have been ranked at the bottom of the list this year.
The rankings of the countries were made after analyzing data from surveys done in 156 countries from 2015 to 2017. The analysis of immigrant happiness was based on surveys of 117 countries from 2005-2015. The first World Happiness Report was released on April 1, 2012.
The report is edited by the economists John F Helliwell, Richard Layard and Jeffrey Sachs.
Since 2013, the United Nations has been celebrating the International Day of Happiness on March 20. They initiated this effort to recognize the “
importance of happiness in the lives of people around the world.”