The happiest people in the world live in northern Europe, according to a survey published by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, according to the Huffington Post. The survey considered 156 different countries.
The report, known as the World Happiness Report, was released Monday and ranks the happiest countries around the world. Denmark, Norway and Switzerland were found to be the happiest.
In North America, Canada came in the highest, with sixth place, with Mexico at 16 and the United States at 17.
This is the second report of this type to be released by a coalition of researchers from the University of British Columbia and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, the London School of Economics and Columbia University's Earth Institute. The researchers from these institutions included John F. Helliwell, Richard Layard and Jeffrey D. Sachs.
The team of researchers used the Gallup World Poll data from the past three years to determine the rank of the 156 countries based on aspects including healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices and social support networks.
Denmark ranked at number one in 2012 as well, when the country received the highest score on a scale of zero through 10. The scores this year range from 2.936, with Togo to 7.693 for Denmark. The 2013 report differs from the 2012 report because it includes more detailed analysis. The researchers hope to guide policymakers into taking the well being of citizens into account when making political decisions with the more detailed analysis.
"There is now a rising worldwide demand that policy be more closely aligned with what really matters to people as they themselves characterize their well-being," Sachs said in a statement released by the group.
The United Nations (U.N.) initiative released their findings in advance of the opening of the 68th session of the U.N. General Assembly, which is scheduled for later this month.
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