World Happiness Ranking: Japan Ranks 51st

March 20th marks the International Day of Happiness. A global report on national and regional happiness rankings has been released, placing Japan at 51st out of 143 countries. Japan ranks lowest among the G7 nations but surpasses both South Korea and China.

The "World Happiness Report" is primarily conducted by a United Nations agency, surveying public opinion over the past three years to rank the happiness levels of countries and regions worldwide. It has been published annually since 2012, with the exception of 2014.

According to this year's report released on the 20th, Finland maintains its top position for the seventh consecutive year, followed by Denmark in second place and Iceland in third, highlighting the welfare and education strengths of the Scandinavian countries.

The United Kingdom ranks 20th, while the United States ranks 23rd. The U.S. has dropped out of the top 20 for the first time, attributed to a significant decrease in happiness among those under 30.

Additionally, last year Japan was ranked 47th out of 137 countries, but has now dropped four places to 51st, marking the lowest among the G7 nations.

In Asia, Japan falls below Singapore, ranked 30th, and Taiwan, ranked 31st, but surpasses countries like South Korea, ranked 52nd, and China, ranked 60th.

Afghanistan ranks at the bottom, at 143rd place, while Lebanon ranks second to last, indicating that countries affected by war and conflict tend to have lower levels of happiness.

For detailed rankings, please refer to the World Happiness Report 2024.