Introduction

In the pursuit of understanding what fosters national happiness, the World Happiness Report serves as a pivotal source of global data, offering insights into how various factors contribute to the well-being of societies. Among these, life expectancy at birth, GDP per capita, and social support emerge as strong predictors, highlighting the intricate relationship between economic, social, and health-related factors and overall happiness. Through a comparative analysis and comparison of the happiest region, North America, and the least happy region, Sub-Saharan Africa, this project seeks to uncover the tangible variables that underpin happiness. Further, we extend the analysis by specifically comparing New Zealand—the epitome of contentment in North America and ANZ—with the happiest countries in Sub-Saharan Africa: Mauritius, Ivory Coast, and Benin. Our objective is to dissect the reasons behind the happiness disparity, despite these African nations being the happiest within their region, through the lens of the three identified happiness predictors.