In recent decades, researchers have proposed several concepts and methodologies for measuring and tracking levels of life satisfaction and wellbeing among peoples and societies. Some of them take a positive view, focusing on the concept of “happiness” and evaluating what that might mean to people. Others have approached the issue from a negative perspective, such as the Misery Index, which classifies countries and people based on the difficulties and suffering they face. These indicators are useful for evaluating state policies and the extent to which they impact peoples’ general sense of fulfilment. They also open up a space for understanding peoples’ cultures, their relationships, and how they deal with them, as well as their outlook on life trajectories.
The World Happiness Report, prepared by Gallup in partnership with Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network and the WHR’s Editorial Board, was first released in 2012, following the launch of the World Happiness Index in 2005. It provides an overview of people’s wellbeing and life satisfaction, and their evaluation of how close they are to leading the life they desire, according to representative samples of the societies of the countries included in the report (143 in 2023). The report is based on an annual survey, which monitors respondents’ evaluations of life satisfaction and subjective wellbeing.
The ranking of countries according to the level of happiness of their people is based on what is known as the Cantril Self-Anchoring Striving Scale (or simply the Cantril Scale) which asks respondents to rate their level of life satisfaction on an 11-point scale where the highest score (10) represents the best possible life, while the lowest score (0) represents the worst. The survey also explores respondents’ opinions on certain factors that help explain their degree of happiness. These are grouped under five main axes: health conditions, life expectancy, generosity and social support, freedoms, and impressions about the extent of corruption, in addition to Gross Domestic Product per capita, as measured by purchasing power parity (PPP).
