Taiwan ranked happiest country in Asia

Taiwan has been ranked the happiest country in East and Southeast Asia in a global happiness report released by the United Nations. The report ranked Taiwan 25th in the world among 153 countries, ahead of all countries in the region. Formosa News reporter Stephany Yang asks the locals what makes Taiwan such a happy place to live. What is happiness? Everyone has a different answer to that question. The UN''s World Happiness Report ranks countries by how happy their residents say they are. This year, the report once again ranked Taiwan 25th in the world, out of 153 countries and regions. Taiwan’s ranking was higher than that of neighboring countries including Singapore, the Philippines, South Korea, Hong Kong, and China. Thierry French student Compared to France for example, we are more free here. Here it''s more free. So it''s very good. The weather is good. I like the weather, the people and then the freedom. For example, France now you have to be confined, you cannot go out anymore. Here it''s more safe than a lot of European countries. Lori American working in TaiwanSo I can tell you it''s definitely more convenient to get around here than where I am from. You have the MRT, you have buses everywhere. You can easily get to the airport. You don''t have to worry about having a car – car insurance. The cost of living is much better than the states. People are much nicer and it is more relaxed.Foreign nationals praise Taiwan for its convenient transportation, kind people, freedom, and affordable cost of living. What do Taiwan-born residents think?Taiwanese I think it''s very reasonable. Taiwan has a great democracy and an amazing health care system. This helps us have a very good life here. Taiwanese Life is not stressful. The healthcare system is also very good. The coronavirus pandemic is worsening around the world, causing overcrowding at hospitals, school suspensions, and business closures. People who live in Taiwan say the pandemic has helped them to appreciate their home in a new way.MariahAmerican working in TaiwanAs far as how bad it is in the U.S. right now. I feel a little bit better being somewhere it is more controlled.Taiwanese studentAlthough the situation right now is rather nerve-wracking, but at least we can still go about our daily lives. I’m actually quite happy.Taiwanese The epidemic preventive measures are very good here. No need for a lockdown. The UN report is based on surveys conducted on people around the world. The survey asks participants to rate their own current lives on a scale of 1 to 10. The top five happiest countries in this year’s report were Finland, Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland, and Norway. The least happiest countries were Afghanistan, South Sudan, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, and Central African Republic.