Grim survey results: Hungary least happy country in the region

Is Hungary really the least happiest country in the region? Since 2012, the 20th of March has marked the celebration of the International Day of Happiness. This year’s World Happiness Report unveils Hungary’s ongoing struggle as one of the less content nations in Eastern Europe.

The World Happiness Report (WHR) is the joint project of Gallup, the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. It aims to call policymakers’ attention to happiness as a crucial factor in shaping government action. Their goal is to give a numerical answer to the question: how happy is life in a given country? To do this, they first ask respondents to rate how happy they feel on a scale of 0 to 10, thereby quantifying subjective bliss.

Beyond mere self-assessment, they delve into additional factors that correlate with feelings of societal happiness to find the happiest country in the world. They study the GDP per capita and the purchasing power parity of a country, the strength of social support among the population, life expectancy, perceptions of freedom, support for charity in the community and the prevalence of corruption both within governmental structures and among corporate entities.

These metrics can significantly affect individual contentment, thereby amalgamating to paint a comprehensive picture of global happiness. This year’s report casts a spotlight on happiness across various life stages, disclosing disparities between Boomers, Millennials and Gen X.

Most and least happiest country in the world

The happiest countries remained unchanged in the past years with Finland being the happiest country now seven years in a row. Denmark came a close second, but overall, the region is a joyous one: all Nordic countries are in the top 10 of the list. Iceland is the third happiest country in the globe, Sweden fourth and Israel is fifth in the ranking.

Central and Eastern European nations, notably Czechia, Lithuania and Slovenia, ascend the ranks, whereas powerful countries, such as the United States and Germany, experience a slight decline. Afghanistan, Lebanon, Lesotho and Sierra Leone languish at the bottom as the unhappiest nations in the world.

Hungary continues to score low on happiness

This year’s report positions Hungary in 56th place, a five-place regression from the previous year. The report identifies dissatisfaction among Hungarian respondents regarding charitable endeavours and the pervasive spectre of corruption. On the other hand, many express a sense of autonomy in shaping their lives the way they wanted.

However, as highlighted by Index.hu, countries such as El Salvador, Guatemala, Kazakhstan and Kosovo surpass Hungary in happiness rankings. Comparably, neighbouring states fare considerably better: Romania secures 32nd place, Slovenia 21st, Czechia 18th and Austria 14th.

Last year, Eurostat ranked Austria as the happiest country in the European Union, boasting a stellar 7.9 out of 10 in quality of life surveys. Poland, Finland and Romania share the runner-up position with a commendable 7.7. Bulgaria languishes at the bottom with a 5.6, albeit Hungary remains a mere five places ahead, surpassing Greece and Croatia.

Pénzcentrum has compiled its own happiness index in Hungary. Their Great Happiness Survey shows which regions of the country are the most and least satisfied. They found that those in the Western part of the country, in Vas, Győr-Moson-Sopron, Veszprém and Fejér counties, as well as in the capital are the happiest. Conversely, Nógrád, Somogy, and Bács-Kiskun counties occupy the opposite end of the spectrum, mirroring the schism in subjective and average incomes.

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