The World Happiness Report has been released with The Gambia ranked 120 out of 156 nations.
Zimbabwe ranks close to the bottom ten, lower than neighbours Mozambique and Zambia. However, Zimbabweans have been ranked happier than Rwandans, Batswana and Malawians.
Finland has been crowned the happiest country in the world for the second year in a row, leading a top ten that is made up of five Nordic nations. South Sudanese are the saddest folks on the planet.
The World Happiness Report, released last Wednesday, ranked 156 countries by happiness levels, based on factors such as life expectancy, social support and corruption.
The International Day of Happiness is celebrated worldwide every March 20, and was conceptualised and founded by philanthropist, activist, statesman, and prominent United Nations special advisor Jayme Illien to inspire, mobilise, and advance the global happiness movement.
This year’s theme was: “I will try to create more happiness in the world around me”.
But while the Nordic nations of Finland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Iceland topped the table, there was no sign of Britain in the top ten.
The UK placed 15th, up from 19th last year, one above Ireland and four above the US – which came in at its lowest ranking ever at 19th.
But Britain still trailed behind the likes of Israel, Austria, Costa Rica, Australia, Luxembourg, Canada and New Zealand.
The North African nation of South Sudan was at the bottom of the happiness index which found America was getting less happy each year even as the country became richer – falling from 14th place in two years.
It is the second year the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network evaluated 117 countries by the happiness and well-being of their immigrants as part of the annual report.
Europe’s Nordic nations, none particularly diverse, have dominated the index since it first was produced in 2012.
Finland took the top spot with a score of 7.769 out of ten, beating second-placed Denmark which scored 7.6.
Filling out the top five was Norway in third, with 7.554 and Iceland fourth, scoring 7.494, narrowly ranking above fifth-placed Netherlands with 7.488.
Propping up the table was South Sudan, with a score of just 2.853. The bottom ten also included Central African Republic, Afghanistan, Tanzania, Rwanda, Yemen, Malawi, Syria, Botswana, Haiti and Zimbabwe.
