Israel ranks as the world's 13th happiest country according to the World Happiness Report, a landmark survey released by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network for the United Nations on March 20.
The report ranks 156 countries by their citizens' self-reported happiness. Finland was number one on the list for the second year in a row, followed closely by two other Nordic countries, Denmark and Norway.
The Nordic countries were followed by Iceland (4), Netherlands (5), Switzerland (6), Sweden (7), New Zealand (8), Canada (9) and Austria (10).
The least happy country on the list was South Sudan at number 156. Hovering above South Sudan in the bottom ten were Central African Republic (155), Afghanistan (154), Tanzania (153), Rwanda, (152), Yemen (151), Malawi (150), Syria (149), Botswana (148) and Haiti (147)
The survey ranks the countries on six variables that promote happiness: income, freedom, trust, healthy life expectancy, social support and generosity.
The United States is the 19th happiest country, a slip from the 18th place last year. According to Jeffrey Sachs, co-editor of the report, the slip is related to addiction issues.
"This year's report provides sobering evidence of how addictions are causing considerable unhappiness and depression in the US," Sachs wrote in a press release.
"Addictions come in many forms, from substance abuse to gambling to digital media. The compulsive pursuit of substance abuse and addictive behaviors is causing severe unhappiness," Sach concluded.