The Top 7 Happiest Countries in the World (plus an inspiring honorable mention) for 2021:
Finland
Finland ranks as the world's happiest country based on the 2021 report, with a score of 7.842 out of a total possible score of 10. The report writers credited the citizens of Finland's strong feelings of communal support and mutual trust with not only helping secure the #1 ranking, but (more importantly) helping the country as a whole navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, Finlanders felt strongly that they were free to make their own choices, and showed minimal suspicion of government corruption. Both of these factors are strong contributors to overall happiness.
Unemployment Rates: The Highest and Lowest in the World
The highest and lowest unemployment rates in the world vary dramatically, even among the world's largest economies.
Lowest Unemployment Rates
Below are the world's 10 lowest unemployment rates at the end of 2021:- Qatar: 0.3%
- Cambodia: 0.6%
- Niger: 0.8%
- Solomon Islands: 1.0%
- Lao PDR: 1.3%
- Thailand: 1.4%
- Benin: 1.6%
- Rwanda: 1.6%
- Burundi: 1.8%
- Bahrain: 1.9%
The above countries have stunning unemployment rates and all bested the U.S. by a considerable margin at the end of 2021
Unemployment Rates for the World's Largest Economies
The unemployment rates for the top 10 largest economies by GDP were predictably low at the end of 2021, with some outliers like France and Italy.- United States: 3.9%
- China: 4.8%
- Japan: 2.8%
- Germany: 3.5%
- United Kingdom: 4.5%
- India: 6.0%
- France: 8.1%
- Italy: 9.8%
- Canada: 7.5%
- Korea, Republic: 3.5%
As the world has begun to open up after the pandemic, these figures should improve over time; however, much of the world is still negatively impacted by the pandemic, its impact on the global supply chain, and the war in Ukraine that began in February 2022.
