Estonia has slipped to 39th place in the latest World Happiness Report, marking a continued decline in global well-being rankings; while Estonians report strong social support, they lag behind in freedom and generosity – key factors linked to happiness.
In the latest World Happiness Report, Estonia has experienced a notable decline, slipping to the 39th position from its previous 34th place last year. This drop reflects broader global trends emphasising the significance of social connections, trust and communal support in determining national happiness.
The World Happiness Report, published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford in partnership with Gallup and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, assesses global happiness by analysing data from the Gallup World Poll. Respondents worldwide rate their lives on a scale from 0 to 10, and these evaluations are then correlated with factors such as GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity and perceptions of corruption.
Estonians not really that free?
This year’s report underscores the profound impact of social relationships on happiness. For instance, sharing meals with others is strongly linked to well-being across all global regions. However, in the United States, the number of people dining alone has increased by 53% over the past two decades, highlighting a growing trend of social isolation. Additionally, in 2023, 19% of young adults worldwide reported having no one they could count on for social support, marking a 39% increase compared to 2006.
Estonia’s decline in the happiness rankings may be partially attributed to challenges in fostering social connections. While the country ranks 23rd in the social support subcategory – indicating that many Estonians have friends or relatives they can rely on – it performs less favourably in other areas.
Notably, Estonia is ranked 53rd in the freedom subcategory, which assesses individuals’ satisfaction with their freedom to choose what they do with their lives. In the generosity subcategory, which considers charitable donations, Estonia stands at 39th. Conversely, the country excels in perceptions of corruption, achieving its best result at 13th place, suggesting a relatively high level of trust in public institutions.
The importance of trust and kindness
The report also highlights the importance of trust and kindness in communities. Global evidence indicates that people are often too pessimistic about the kindness of their communities. For example, actual rates of lost wallet returns are around twice as high as people expect. Believing that others are willing to return a lost wallet is a strong predictor of population happiness. Nordic nations Finland, Denmark, Iceland and Sweden, which once again top the happiness rankings, also rank among the top places for expected and actual return of lost wallets.
Investing in positive social connections and engaging in benevolent actions are both matched by greater happiness. As professor Lara B. Aknin, an editor of the World Happiness Report, noted, “human happiness is driven by our relationships with others.”
The World Happiness Report originated from Bhutan’s push for a well-being-focused development approach. Their 2011 UN resolution led to the first report in 2012, presented at a high-level meeting on happiness. Later that year, the UN declared 20 March as the International Day of Happiness, aligning the report’s annual release with the celebration.
