Caring, freedom, generosity, honesty, health, income and good governance are among the criteria thought to provide high levels of happiness.

It is the UN Sustainable Development Commission (SDSN) that publishes the annual report.

– Small differences

Denmark, Iceland and Switzerland are ranked after Norway on the list, but the four countries are considered close to each other.

According to the report, only small differences determine which country comes out on top from year to year. Last year, Denmark was the happiest country in the world.

Sweden this year is ranked tenth.

The report shows Norway at the top despite falling oil prices.

– It is said that Norway achieves and maintains high levels of happiness, not because of its oil wealth, but despite it, the award said.

Norway’s investment in oil money in the future versus using it now is starting to get noticed.

– This is how Norway protects itself from the boom-and-bust cycles that characterize many other resource-rich countries, the report says.

Factors such as mutual trust, common goals, generosity and good governance are needed to implement the scheme, and are at the same time what put Norway and other countries at the top, according to the UN commission.

– A better path to prosperity

It is perhaps not surprising that the countries at the bottom of the list are very poor, with the Central African Republic coming in last. Syria is one of the poorest countries in terms of happiness this year.

Money doesn’t matter much if you look at the US numbers. Americans’ incomes have risen in the past decade, yet they are ranked the 14th happiest country in the world.

Inequality, distrust and corruption are the reasons why the US has not risen, SDSN leader Jeffrey Sachs told Reuters.

He said that the aim of the report was to provide authorities, business and civil society with tools to find better ways to prosperity.

The six factors used in the ranking are gross domestic product per inhabitant, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, community support, and the absence of corruption in government and the business world.

– I want the authorities to measure it, discuss it, analyze the results and understand when they are going in the wrong direction, Sachs said.

Read the whole thing the report is here.