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Indonesia among the unhappiest countries in Southeast Asia: study
In the World Happiness Report, Finland remained the world's happiest country for a seventh straight year, while Indonesia improved its position from number 84 of 109 countries surveyed in 2023. This year, 143 countries appear on the list.
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Motorists commute in a traffic jam in Jakarta on December 13, 2022. Jakarta’s traffic has returned to pre-pandemic levels, after the government ended COVID-19 public activity restrictions. (AFP/Bay Ismoyo)
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ndonesia comes in at number 80 in a list of the world's happiest countries published on Wednesday as part of an annual United Nations-sponsored study.
In the World Happiness Report, Finland remained the world's happiest country for the seventh straight year, while Indonesia improved its position from number 84 of 109 countries surveyed in 2023. This year, 143 countries appear on the list.
Indonesia's position on the list is far lower than its peers in Southeast Asia.
Of ASEAN countries appearing on the list, Singapore ranked the highest at 30th position, while the Philippines came in at a distant 53rd position. Vietnam followed closely behind the Philippines in 54th position, while Thailand and Malaysia appeared lower on the list respectively in 58th and 59th.
In the ASEAN region, Indonesia only scored better against Laos, which appeared at 94th position and Myanmar at 118th position.
The survey found that across Southeast Asia there is an overall tendency for the level of happiness to regress, with the steepest decline reported in Singapore.
"The ten countries of Southeast Asia, with Indonesia the largest and Singapore the smallest, show a declining structure of happiness across age groups and a gender difference favouring young females," the report said.
