The Happiest Countries in the World 2024: Israel is Near the Top
During a Stephen Wise Temple trip to Israel, I had the opportunity to speak with one of our tour guides, David. He shared a unique perspective, having been born in America and made Aliyah about 25 years earlier. I was curious to know how Israel had changed since his move.
He responded, “When I moved to Israel, like many American Jews, I did so for idealistic reasons. I felt a Jew should live in Israel. Today, you can make Aliyah for another reason. Israel is a great place to live. It’s a great place to raise a family.”
His feelings mirror those of a large percentage of Israelis. Israelis are among the happiest people in the world.
The World Happiness Report is an annual publication that compiles data from more than 140 countries. It is published by Gallup, the United Nations, and the University of Oxford. The study measures happiness based on six categories: GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity of the general population, and perception of internal and external corruption levels.
According to the 2024 World Happiness Report, Israel ranks fifth among nations. The countries preceding it are Finland, Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden. The United States dropped out of the top 20 for the first time in the report’s 12-year history to number 23.
It is remarkable. Israel is the only country in the world that is the focus of destruction. A country that has battled many wars since its independence in 1948 has produced a very happy people.
Many of Israel’s stellar achievements (in medicine, science, technology, agriculture, and morality) are well recognized. Yet, given the extraordinary external pressure Israel faces, among its most remarkable achievements is that it produces happy people.
We say Am Yisrael Chai, “The people of Israel live”. Not only do they live, apparently they know how to live.
— Rabbi David Woznica