It turns out that happiness can be measured. March 20 has been declared by the United Nations as the International Day of Happiness. Traditionally, on the eve of that date, the organization publishes its global ranking of the world’s happiest countries (World Happiness Report).
Moldova’s Position in the Ranking
There is not much for us to celebrate. This year, Moldova ranked 77th.
Compared with last year, the worst result in the history of the ranking for the country, when Moldova stood at 80th, this could, of course, be called progress. But everything is relative. Two years ago, the country was in 71st place, and three years ago it ranked 63rd.
Who Tops the List
The leader of the ranking, for the ninth time in a row, was Finland. Also near the top were its Scandinavian neighbors, as well as Costa Rica, which unexpectedly came in fourth.
Places seven through ten went to the Netherlands, Israel, Luxembourg, and Switzerland.
At the bottom of the ranking are countries with weaker economies and unstable political regimes like Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Sierra Leone. In last place, by the usual wide margin, is Afghanistan.
How Moldova Compares
Moldova is in the middle of the table, and most of its neighbors in the ranking are hardly seen as models of universal happiness: Mongolia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Bolivia.
It is also noteworthy that Russia, which Moldovan propaganda portrays as suffering under war, tyranny, and internet censorship, is not far from Moldova, which is said to be moving toward a bright European future, it ranks 79th.
A Decline During the “Good Times”
Another interesting point is that the decline in Moldova’s ranking began precisely during the PAS period of promised “good times.”
Under Igor Dodon, the country’s position fluctuated more steadily between 50th and 65th place.
