Finland may have claimed the title of happiest country in the world for a record seventh year, but if you're over 60, you may want to seek happiness elsewhere.
Denmark has the highest level of life satisfaction among seniors and retirees, according to the World Happiness Report, which, for the first time ever, ranked countries by age group. The Nordic state scored second in the overall ranking and fifth for the happiness of its young people.
"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 noted. It stated that Baby Boomers, or those born before 1965 tend to be happier than millennials and Generation Z, or those born after 1980, even if the COVID-19 pandemic affected that generation the most.
Life expectancy in Denmark has steadily increased since the 1950s and is expected to reach 87 for women and 85 for men over the next 30 years, much faster than the rest of the world. Currently, the average retirement age in Denmark is 65, but it will change to 68 in 2030. Denmark spends 8.1 percent of its GDP to fund its universal pension system, which consists of a basic pension and supplements. However, some pensioners may also be eligible for "a supplementary pension benefit, a personal allowance, a health allowance, and a heating supplement," according to an analysis by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. In addition, seniors in Denmark are entitled to deep discounts on fares for public transportation and cultural institutions.
And according to a survey by the Nordic Welfare Center that gathered data between 2003 and 2020, 61 percent of Danes between the ages of 65 and 74, reported high overall satisfaction with their health.
"As people age, the prevailing negativity bias of younger ages is on average across the world increasingly offset as age leads people to focus more on positive news and memories, to accumulate enriching life experiences, to think better of others, and to rate their lives more highly," the World Happiness Report found. It also recorded a slight decline in reported happiness levels as age increases.
Finland is second on the list of happiest countries for seniors, and Norway is third. Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Lesotho are at the bottom of the ranking.
You can read the full report at worldhappiness.report.
