DHAKA: Bangladesh was ranked 125th happiest country in the Happiness Index by going three notches down from the previous year.

Bangladesh, however, secured its place ahead of neighboring India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar, according to the study of United Nations (UN) published Wednesday (March 20).

In 2018, Bangladesh was ranked 115th on the same index.

This time, Finland has toppled the list of happiest countries for the second year in a row.

Iceland, Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, New Zealand, Canada and Austria round out the top ten.

India was ranked 140th while Sri Lanka 130th, Myanmar 131st, Pakistan 67th, Bhutan 95th and Nepal 100th.

The US took 19th place this year, dropping from 18th place last year. South Sudan is last on the list.   

The research was carried out by asking people in 156 countries about social security, economic issues, and individual freedoms.

“Happiness has been changing over the past dozen years” the report finds, as researchers looked into different aspects of how technology, governance and social norms influence communities.

Researchers measured such areas as links between government actions and happiness; the power of social behaviour like generosity as a way to create happy communities; and also how information technology could affect happiness.

Report authors noted the close correlation between the happiest countries, and the countries with the happiest immigrants.

Inputs from News Now Finland

BDST: 1632 HRS, MAR 21, 2019
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