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Arab Times
5 days ago
- General
- Arab Times
Kuwait Ranked 30th Happiest Country in the World, 2nd in Gulf
KUWAIT CITY, July 7: Kuwait has secured a prominent position in the World Happiness Report 2025, published by the Centre for Well-being at Oxford University in collaboration with Gallup and the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network. The country ranked 30th globally and second in the Gulf region, reflecting a strong sense of well-being among its residents. The report, which draws on individuals' self-assessments of their lives using data averaged from 2022 through 2024, highlights Kuwait's progress in several key areas, including social cohesion, charitable giving, and public trust. In the Cantril Ladder—a key metric measuring life satisfaction—Kuwait claimed the 30th spot globally. The country also performed well in sub-indicators, ranking 33rd in the Global Donation Index, 46th in volunteering, and 27th in helping strangers. Regionally, the United Arab Emirates led the Gulf, ranking 21st worldwide in overall happiness, and placed 16th in donations and 19th in volunteer work. Saudi Arabia followed Kuwait, coming in 32nd globally, but trailed in civic engagement metrics, placing 48th in donations and 92nd in volunteerism. Across the wider Arab world, happiness rankings varied significantly. Libya placed 74th, Algeria 83rd, Jordan 92nd, Iraq 93rd, Lebanon 99th, Palestine 101st, Egypt 110th, Morocco 111th, Sudan 117th, Tunisia 119th, Djibouti 120th, and Mauritania 122nd. The report underlined the pivotal role of trust, generosity, and community care in fostering human well-being. It noted that interpersonal trust—particularly among strangers—had a more profound impact on happiness than either financial giving or volunteering. Kuwait's standing in the 2025 report reflects its effective balance of economic stability, quality of life, and civic engagement, positioning it as a regional leader and a model for cultivating a compassionate and resilient society.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Where Does The UK Rank In Happiness? This Report Paints A Grim Picture
This week, The World Happiness Report 2025 was released. This report is the world's foremost publication on global wellbeing and how to improve it. The researchers behind the report combined wellbeing data from over 140 countries, and provides essential insights into how we can create more happiness within our communitiies and nations. To explain their ranking, the researchers say: 'Our global happiness ranking is based on a single question from the Gallup World Poll, derived from the Cantril Self-Anchoring Striving Scale (Cantril Ladder): 'Please imagine a ladder with steps numbered from 0 at the bottom to 10 at the top. 'The top of the ladder represents the best possible life for you and the bottom of the ladder represents the worst possible life for you. On which step of the ladder would you say you personally feel you stand at this time?' The report found that, despite the UK being the sixth richest nation in the world, we have fallen to 23rd place in global rankings. The US has also fallen to its lowest position, now sitting at 24th place. Meanwhile, Finland is reportedly the happiest place in the world for the eighth year in a row. Providing more context to their findings, the researchers say: 'Country rankings are based on a three-year average of each population's average assessment of their quality of life. 'Interdisciplinary experts from economics, psychology, sociology and beyond then seek to explain the variations across countries and over time using factors such as GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, having someone to count on, a sense of freedom, generosity and perceptions of corruption.' Those factors explain the differences across nations, but the rankings themselves are actually based solely on answers people have given when asked to rank their own lives. Quite a sorry tale for the UK. While this news isn't exactly uplifting, the overall findings from the researchers were surprisingly wholesome and give us attainable goals for rebuilding, as well as finding joy and comfort where we can. Lara B. Aknin, professor of social psychology at Simon Fraser University, and an editor of the World Happiness Report, says: 'Human happiness is driven by our relationships with others. Investing in positive social connections and engaging in benevolent actions are both matched by greater happiness.' Jeffrey D. Sachs, president of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University and a founding editor of the World Happiness Report, adds: 'The findings in this year's World Happiness Report reconfirm a fundamental truth: happiness is rooted in trust, kindness, and social connection. 'It is up to us as virtuous individuals and citizens to translate this vital truth into positive action, thereby fostering peace, civility, and wellbeing in communities worldwide.' Let's hope we can improve over the next 12 months. If You Struggle To Trust Strangers, This Report May Give You Some Hope The 'Happiness Paradox': Why Trying To Be Happy Is Making You Miserable 6 Habits That Make Your Kids Well, Not Just Happy — According to Psychologists
