Saudi Arabia has ranked the third happiest country in the Ipsos 2020 global happiness survey. China ranked first and the Netherlands second.

The market research company, which is based in France, measured the level of happiness in 27 countries around the world. Al Arabiya reports that in Saudi Arabia about eight in 10 people described themselves as “very” or “rather” happy. Nine out of 10 people described themselves as such in China and the Netherlands.

France followed Saudi Arabia, with Canada, Australia, Great Britain, Sweden, Germany, and Belgium following thereafter in the top 10 happiest countries. Their religion was cited as their greatest source of happiness by those polled in Said Arabia, before health and physical well-being, personal safety and security, and their relationship with their children. Further, Al Arabiya reports that the Kingdom had, at 30 percent, the highest proportion of adults who consider themselves “very happy,” followed by India at 22 percent and the Netherlands at 20 percent. Interesting to note was that time spent on social media was the least popular “greatest source of happiness” for the participants, overall.

1000 adults in each country were polled via an online survey platform, in the thick of the coronavirus pandemic, from July 24 to August 7. The results show that six in 10 adults across 27 countries describe themselves as happy. Ipsos concluded that the global prevalence of happiness has remained almost unchanged, as compared to 2019 happiness levels, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Spain, Chile, and Peru had the lowest levels of happiness, with Peru, having seen a 26 percent decline since 2019, and Chile, 15 percent.

Umm Muhammed Umar