The World's Happiest and Least-Happy Countries of 2016 (Infographic)

Chart showing top and bottom 20 countries ranked by happiness index. (Image credit: by Karl Tate, Infographics Artist)

The index shows six key variables that contribute to the total score, relative to a hypothetical country called “Dystopia” representing the worst scores from the 2013-2015 index.

Dystopia is an imaginary country with the world’s least-happy people. Dystopia would have the lowest incomes, lowest life expectancy, lowest generosity, most corruption, least freedom and least social support.

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1. Denmark (7.526)

2. Switzerland (7.509)

3. Iceland (7.501)

4. Norway (7.498)

5. Finland (7.413)

6. Canada (7.404)

7. Netherlands (7.339)

8. New Zealand (7.334)

9. Australia (7.313)

10. Sweden (7.291)

11. Israel (7.267)

12. Austria (7.119)

13. United States (7.104)

14. Costa Rica (7.087)

15. Puerto Rico (7.039)

16. Germany (6.994)

17. Brazil (6.952)

18. Belgium (6.929)

19. Ireland (6.907)

20. Luxembourg(6.871)

Bottom 20:

138. Comoros (3.956)

139. Ivory Coast (3.916)

140. Cambodia (3.907)

141. Angola (3.866)

142. Niger (3.856)

143. South Sudan (3.832)

144. Chad (3.763)

145. Burkina Faso (3.739)

146. Uganda (3.739)

147. Yemen (3.724)

148. Madagascar (3.695)

149. Tanzania (3.666)

150. Liberia (3.622)

151. Guinea (3.607)

152. Rwanda (3.515)

153. Benin (3.484)

154. Afghanistan (3.360)

155. Togo (3.303)

156. Syria (3.069)

157. Burundi (2.905)

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Karl has been Purch's infographics specialist across all editorial properties since 2010. Before joining Purch, Karl spent 11 years at the New York headquarters of The Associated Press, creating news graphics for use around the world in newspapers and on the web. He has a degree in graphic design from Louisiana State University.