Introduction

The pursuit of understanding the determinants of international happiness levels guided this exploration into the World Happiness Report 2023. Herein, the Cantril Scale serves as a pivotal metric, enabling an assessment of life satisfaction across a scale ranging from complete dissatisfaction (0) to complete satisfaction (10). This scale provides a distinctive metric, gauging average life satisfaction by country and exploring the factors contributing to these variations among the six key variables—GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and perceptions of corruption. This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between happiness and perceived corruption, providing a visualization that captures this interplay.

Methodology

The data for this investigation was sourced from the World Happiness Report 2023, particularly Figure 2.1, which provides happiness rankings based on a three-year average from 2020 to 2022. The data sheet includes various dimensions such as GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and perceptions of corruption.

Before analysis, data cleaning and preprocessing were performed using Excel and OpenRefine to ensure accuracy and readiness for visualization. OpenRefine was used to clean inconsistencies and standardize the dataset for reliable analysis.

Visualization Design and Development

Subsequently, Tableau Public was employed to create the visualization. The design process involved transforming the perception of corruption metrics from raw decimal format into more interpretable percentage values. This was achieved through computational functions within Tableau, allowing for the synthesis of a coherent color-mapped representation. Informed by contemporary data visualization principles, the orientation was adjusted to position the countries on the x-axis against the Cantril Ladder scores on the y-axis. A gradation of orange hues is an intuitive measure of corruption perception, with darker shades indicating higher levels of perceived corruption.

Global Joy and Integrity: A Cantril’s Ladder Color Map

Comparative Analysis

This work provides a visual synthesis that combines happiness scores with corruption perception. The visualization affords an immediate grasp of complex interrelationships. It also enhances previous efforts by incorporating a design that emphasizes the extremities of the corruption spectrum, allowing for stark contrasts between countries to be observed at a glance.

Results

The final visualization reveals an inverse correlation between perceived corruption and happiness rankings. Notably, Finland’s position as the happiest nation corresponds with its minimal corruption perception, a mere 0.7%. Conversely, while ranked 58th in happiness, Bulgaria is the most corrupt at 97.1%. Afghanistan anchors the dataset with the lowest happiness ranking and a high corruption perception of 77.2%. These results suggest that, while corruption perception may not be the most heavily weighted factor in happiness, it remains a significant variable.

Discussion

The nuanced interplay between perceived corruption and happiness depicted in the visualization emphasizes the impact of governance and institutional integrity on societal well-being. By situating design choices within the research questions, the visualization underpins the narrative that countries with better governance tend to have happier populations.

Scientific Reflection

The study recognizes limitations, including the potential for cultural biases in the perception of corruption and the subjective nature of happiness itself. These factors may influence the data and, by extension, the visualization. While the current analysis offers a static representation, future research could incorporate dynamic visual elements to track changes over time.

Future Exploration

In pursuit of broader applications, the concept of happiness metrics could extend to extraterrestrial environments. With the burgeoning economy of space exploration valued at $129.9 billion, the metrics used in this study could provide a template for assessing the well-being of communities beyond Earth. Furthermore, gathering feedback from a diverse audience could inform iterative design improvements for the visualization.

Conclusion

In sum, this analysis contributes a methodological advancement in visualizing happiness and corruption data. It presents a persuasive visual argument for the importance of integrity in governance as a component of national contentment. The paths for future exploration are manifold, promising a rich territory for continued scientific inquiry and application.