Are you happy? Why or why not?

Canadians it seems aren’t as happy as they were last year. Which seems strange given that they don’t have Justin Trudeau around anymore. You would think they would be happier now that he is gone.

The annual World Happiness Report was published Thursday. Canada has dropped to 25th place in the rankings. The USA comes in at 23rd. That can only lead me to conclude that ignorance really is bliss.

Where you live has a lot to do with how happy you are. So does social media.

For the ninth year in a row, Finland is the world’s happiest country. Maybe that is due to the success of their hockey teams. Or maybe it is the pace of life. Or their social safety net.

In fact, the five Scandinavian countries are in the top six. That says something about either the countries or their people. Maybe both..

No English-speaking country made the top ten this year, possibly because we are so addicted to social media. Turns out the thing that was supposed to bring people together is a major contributor to unhappiness.

There are of course a number of factors that go into determining how happy people are. Still, if you look at the list you will find surprises. I wouldn’t have expected Israelis, with their country at war, to have been happier than the Swiss, who haven’t had to worry about war for centuries. Then again, Switzerland is an expensive place to live and government regulations there can feel oppressive.

So i ask you again, ae you happy?

You can find the full list, the criteria used and some analysis here.