Switzerland is voted the happiest country in the world, while the UK falls into 22nd place
Chocolate, mountains and cheese go a long way when it comes to making us feel jolly, so it should come as little surprise that Switzerland, home to an abundance of all three, is ranked the happiest country in the world by a new poll.
The latest edition of the World Happiness Index didn't just put the central European country in first place because of its confectionery delights, though – it's also because of its excellent GDP per capita, social freedoms and life expectancy (among other things).
But Switzerland is only one of a few northern European countries dominating the top of the chart of 158 countries. In second place came Iceland, followed by Denmark and Norway.
The UK comes in at 22, falling behind many of its European neighbours, the US and some others including Costa Rica, Brazil and Mexico. Ireland is also a few places ahead at 18. France, Germany and Spain all come slightly below the UK.
Unsurprisingly, civil war is tightly linked to extreme unhappiness, with Syria ranked as the third least happy country in the world. At the very bottom of the chart, however, falls the west African country of Togo.
[infographic id="88"]