Taiwan was ranked as the world’s 26th happiest nation and the happiest in East Asia in a report released on Wednesday that compared the happiness level of 156 nations, assessing factors including average life span, social support and corruption.
Other factors included income, healthy life expectancy, freedom, trust and generosity.
The World Happiness Report produced by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network — a global initiative launched by the UN in 2012 — found that people in Finland were the most content, overtaking neighboring Norway as the happiest place to live.
They were followed by Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Canada, New Zealand, Sweden and Australia in the top 10 nations in the report.
The US dropped from last year’s 14th to 18th place.
In East Asia, Singapore was ranked 34th, Japan 54th, South Korea 57th, Hong Kong 76th and China 86th.
The country that ranked last in the report was Burundi, preceded by the Central African Republic in 155th and South Sudan in 154th.
In addition to the report was an evaluation of 117 nations by the happiness and well-being of their immigrants, in which Finland also took first place and Taiwan was 38th.
Finland has a population of about 5.5 million people, which includes approximately 300,000 foreigners and residents with foreign roots. The majority of its immigrants come from other European nations, but it also has expatriates from Afghanistan, China, Iraq and Somalia.
Taiwan has a population of about 23.67 million people, according to Web site Worldometers, and a total of 715,938 foreigners at the start of this year, National Immigration Agency statistics showed.
John Helliwell, a coeditor of the report and professor emeritus of economics at the University of British Columbia, said a society’s happiness seems to be contagious, as all of the top-10 nations scored highest in overall happiness and the happiness of immigrants.
The rankings were based on annual surveys from 2015 to last year of 1,000 people in each nation who were asked to rate their lives on a scale of zero for the worst possible life to 10 for the best possible life, the report’s Web site said.
Taiwan was last year ranked the 33rd happiest nation last year in the report, trailing Singapore in 26th.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old