Taiwan has overtaken Singapore as the happiest country in Asia, climbing to 27th place in the World Happiness Report, while Singapore dropped to 34th—its lowest ranking since 2017.
The annual study, conducted by the University of Oxford, Gallup, and the United Nations, evaluates 147 nations based on factors such as GDP per capita, social support, life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and perceived corruption.
Despite excelling in areas like low corruption and charitable giving, Singapore’s ranking suffered due to weaker perceptions of social support and personal freedom, while Vietnam made impressive progress, rising from 96th place in 2015 to 46th last year.
The report also highlighted a global increase in anxiety and stress, particularly among young adults, emphasizing the importance of strong social bonds, as seen in countries like Costa Rica and Mexico, which ranked in the top 10 despite having lower GDP levels.
