Happy: Israel 11th Happiest Nation

The World Happiness Report is a survey of global societal well-being that ranks 158 countries by happiness levels.

The six factors are GDP per capita, healthy years of life expectancy, social support (as measured by having someone to count on in times of trouble), trust (as measured by a perceived absence of corruption in government and business), perceived freedom to make life decisions, and generosity (as measured by recent donations, adjusted for differences in income).

For the second year in a row,  Israel is ranked as the 11th happiest country in the world.

"As the science of happiness advances, we are getting to the heart of what factors define quality of life for citizens," said Professor John F. Helliwell of the University of British Columbia and editor of the report. "We are encouraged that more and more governments around the world are listening and responding with policies that put well-being first. Countries with strong social and institutional capital not only support greater well-being, but are more resilient to social and economic crises."  

Top 20 Happiest countries in the world