How Happy Is the Average Filipino?
The latest results of the World Happiness Report (WHR) have just been released. And it looks like Filipinos are starting to get their joy back, especially the younger generation.
The University of Oxford's Wellbeing Research Center in the United Kingdom ranked countries based on average life evaluations from 2021 to 2023. Launched in 2012 to empower the United Nations’ sustainable development goals, the 2024 WHR gives us valuable insight into the perception of quality of life among the general population. Participants here were asked about the current state of their lives and to give a score between 0 and 10 with 10 being the highest.
Out of 143 countries, the Philippines saw one of the most significant increases in the standings, going from 53 a year before 76 today. This is one spot below our pre-pandemic rankings (52nd in 2020). Most Filipinos were found to rate their lives at a modest 6.05. In 2021, that number was at 5.08. Researchers compared different periods, too. The Philippines had an increase of 1.223 points between the time of 2006 to 2010 and 2021 to 2023. This is the highest uptick in Southeast Asia.
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The country also happens to be second in Southeast Asia, trailing only Singapore at 30th with a score of 6.52. Joining the rankings in the region were Vietnam at 54th, Thailand at 58th, Malaysia at 59th, Indonesia at 80th, Laos at 94th, Myanmar at 118th, and Cambodia at 119th.
“Global happiness inequality has increased by more than 20 percent over the past dozen years, in all regions and age groups, to an extent that differs a lot by age and by region,” the report adds.
Again ranking first is Finland, doing so for the seventh consecutive year. Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, and Israel round out the top five spots. The least happy countries in the world, on the other hand, were led by Afghanistan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Sierra Leone, Congo, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Malawi, Eswatini, and Zambia.
