Happiness in Indonesia? 74th in the World Happiness Report 2015
In the World Happiness Report 2015, released by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network on Thursday (23/04), Indonesia ranks 74th in terms of citizens’ happiness. The report measures the degree of happiness in 158 countries around the globe by using six variables: GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and freedom from corruption. Although Indonesia climbed two spots in the 2015 Happiness Index, the country still trails behind regional peers.
The World Happiness Report, which was launched by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in August 2012, aims to show that “well-being and happiness are critical indicators of a nation’s economic and social development, and should be a key aim of policy”. Based on the report, countries in the western part of Europe (especially Scandinavia) are happiest with Switzerland claiming the top spot.
Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy, rose in the 2015 edition but still trails behind regional peers Singapore (24th), Thailand (34th), and Malaysia (61st). Several key issues in Indonesia is the widening gap between rich and poor (income disparity) and the high degree of perceived corruption.
The Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) mobilizes scientific and technical expertise from academia, civil society, as well as from the private sector in support of sustainable development problem solving at local, national, and global scales. The SDSN Secretariat is located at Columbia University and has staff in Paris, New York, and New Delhi. The World Happiness Report was first launched in 2012.
| World Happiness Report 2015 |
| 1. Switzerland |
| 2. Iceland |
| 3. Denmark |
| 4. Norway |
| 5. Canada |
| 6. Finland |
| 7. Netherlands |
| 8. Sweden |
| 9. New Zealand |
| 10. Australia |
| 74. Indonesia |
Source: SDSN