How happy are you?
Vietnam came in 94th in the 7th World Happiness Report, which measured factors such as GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity and percentage of corruption. Vietnam’s highest score came in the 'Freedom to Make Life Choice' category, at 23rd, while its second-highest score was 'Healthy Life Expectancy' at 49th.
The report, compiled by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network was published on March 20, the International Day of Happiness. Vietnam's overall score was 5.175, just below China and above Bhutan, VnExpress reports. Four Nordic nations topped the list with Finland claiming the crown, followed by Denmark, Norway and Iceland.
Overall, in comparison to other countries in Southeast Asia, Vietnam was listed after Singapore (34th), Thailand (52nd), the Philippines (69th), Malaysia (80th) and Indonesia (92nd). South Sudan, the Central African Republic, Afghanistan, Tanzanian and Rwanda were at the bottom of the list.
The results of the report might come as a shock to some, as just three years ago, according to another study by Happy Planet Index, Vietnam was the 5th happiest country in the world. Moreover, Bhutan — which is usually touted by travel agencies and media platforms as the happiest country on Earth — is at No. 95.
[Photo/CC BY]
