The World Happiness Report for 2023 is here and the results are in. In some good news for South Africa, we’re actually the happiest batch of chappies we’ve ever been, against some great odds.
South Africa (26 March, 2023) — Finland may have taken the biggest slice of the happiness cake, but South Africans are enjoying their own sweet victory. The World Happiness Report for 2023 is here, sharing some news that Mzansi can be proud of.
Since its inception over a decade ago, The World Happiness Report has given the globe a taste of what living in different countries feels like. Additionally, it’s also a fantastic resource to help leaders pinpoint elements keeping the country from its happiness potential.
Welcoming the 2023 happiness lap, South Africans can share a well-earned smile. Not only are we higher on the Happiness Ranking than ever before; but we also managed to earn it despite some incredibly tough recent hardships.
How do the rankings work?
The WHR marks out the average of a country’s overall happiness over three years. Each year, that average is marked out and compared to the period before. Various factors are looked at. They are:
- GDP per capita
- Social Support
- Healthy Life Expectancy
- Freedom to make Life Choices
- Generosity
- Perception of Corruption
- Dystopia
Taking these factors into account, South Africa was placed 85, up from last year’s position of 91. Beyond the little jump of joy, we also consider that last year saw huge collective headaches. From our energy crisis to petrol prices, financial strain from the pandemic’s curtails and of course inflation rates, we’ve endured a lot.
>Despite having a way to go before we reach Finland, a step in a more positive direction is always a good step, especially when it’s against the odds. As any local will tell you, one thing about South Africans is that ‘we move.’
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