An aerial demonstration on Israel's Independence Day. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – Israel was ranked the 11th-happiest country in the world in 2014, according to the annual World Happiness Report, released on Friday.

Among 158 countries surveyed, Israel beat out several Western countries such as the United States (15), Ireland (18), United Kingdom (21), Germany (26), and France (29). Switzerland, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, and Canada were the top five countries.

The happiness scale was compiled using several factors, including GDP per capita, life expectancy, freedom of choice, generosity, perceptions of corruption, and social support. The report is published by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, an initiative of the United Nations launched in 2012 that promotes sustainable development on local, national, and global scales.

Not surprisingly, most of Israel’s neighbors fared poorly in the rankings, including the Palestinian territories (108), Egypt (135), Jordan (85), and Lebanon (103). The unhappiest countries in the world were Afghanistan, Rwanda, Benin, Syria, Burundi, and Togo.