The World's Happiest Countries?

Gazelle SG

The World's Happiest Countries

A British researcher merged dozens of statistical metrics to rank nations on the elusive notion of contentment
By Marina Kamenev

Feeling blue? Perhaps you live in the wrong country. A recent study from Britain's University of Leicester examined a range of statistical data to devise a ranking of the world's happiest nations. Heading up the list: Denmark, which rose to the top thanks to its wealth, natural beauty, small size, quality education, and good health care. At the bottom were Zimbabwe and Burundi. But there were a few surprises along the way, too. Asian countries scored worse than researcher Adrian White expected. Capitalism sometimes criticized for its heartlessness was far from a source of discontent, though the top-scoring capitalist countries also tended to have strong social services. And the U.S. ranked only 23rd, due to nagging poverty and spotty health care. Read on to learn about the world's 12 happiest countries by the numbers, at least.

http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/oct2006/gb20061011_072596.htm

Gazelle SG

Reader comments

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I-like-flings(m) SG

singapore number what har? Laughing

Ito_^ SG

i dun dare to read. Laughing

Ah Gong SG

all this complaints will disappear with a good dose of incompetent governance

Fatum SG

when it comes to singapore, I think it really depends on what caste of Singaporean you are ....

if you're a peasant, of course you'll not be happy ....

if you're an elite on the other hand .... my, you'd not only be happy, you'd be laughing ...

Kuali Baba SG

High GDP figures weren’t common to all of the top 12 countries. What was common (as it seemed to me) was the ability to enjoy life and the beauty of the world and believe that things will take care of themselves, be it through institutions or otherwise.

ShutterBug SG

I'd say that the only group of people happy here is our government...

In fact, should rename this thread to 'Singapore, & The World's Happiest Government'...

They can write their own paychecks, promote themselves, whatever they fancy...! And we can say and do NOTHING about it...

hloc SG

Wherever u are...... here or elsewhere..... surely will find unhappy people..... happiness is a state of mind...... u can't buy it with money. 'Poor' people from some 3rd world countries wanting only basic needs will be happy with just 3 full meals a day..... while us, who demand the lastest H/P, Bigscreen LCD, Cars, Conda, Credit Cards..... etc, will always be unhappy even if we are Overweight from good food + drinks....

Happiness is a state of mind........

huiz SG

singapore of course nowhere in sight in the ratings. Laughing

Gazelle SG

Honestly do you think it is that wonderful to be a politician in Singapore? They might have the money, but I think they are missing out alot of things in life which normal singaporeans can enjoy without any worries. Beside that, once you reach a certain income level, anything beyond that will be quite meaningless.

hloc SG

This I agree...... I want $$$$. But there will be a time when U have everything u ever wanted, then money just becomes a 'Number' to measure yourself with......

ShutterBug SG

They are afterall, Top Quality People. They SHOULD be able to handle the workload entrusted upon them. Everything else apart from work, has been taken cared of. Zero worries...

Material wealth becomes irrelevant in life, once you have all the money you ever need in your lifetime. The only concern or anxiety then, shall undeniably, HOW you die and by what cause.

Also, heaven or hell will it be?....

Gazelle SG

What about issues such as families, health and sex?

mistyblue SG

Singapore definitely can become

Unhappiness Hub

Without even try.... Mr. Green

Gazelle SG

I think those whining Singaporeans will never be happy regardless of where they go.

mistyblue SG

see! We are so good at that! Mr. Green

Our super hero us propably Mr Negativity!

Gazelle SG

Map of happiness.

Gazelle SG

Ranking Nation SWLS Score

1 DENMARK 273
2 SWITZERLAND 273
3 AUSTRIA 260
4 ICELAND 260
5 BAHAMAS 257
6 FINLAND 257
7 SWEDEN 257
8 BHUTAN 253
9 BRUNEI DARUSSALAM 253
10 CANADA 253
11 IRELAND 253
12 LUXEMBOURG 253
13 COSTA RICA 250
14 MALTA 250
15 NETHERLANDS 250
16 ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA 247
17 MALAYSIA 247
18 NEW ZEALAND 247
19 NORWAY 247
20 SEYCHELLES 247
21 ST KITTS AND NEVIS 247
22 UAE 247
23 USA 247
24 VANUATU 247
25 VENEZUELA 247
26 AUSTRALIA 243
27 BARBADOS 243
28 BELGIUM 243
29 DOMINICA 243
30 OMAN 243
31 SAUDI ARABIA 243
32 SURINAME 243
33 BAHRAIN 240
34 COLUMBIA 240
35 GERMANY 240
36 GUYANA 240
37 HONDURAS 240
38 KUWAIT 240
39 PANAMA 240
40 ST VINCENT AND THE 240
41 UNITED KINGDOM 237
42 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 233
43 GUATEMALA 233
44 JAMAICA 233
45 QATAR 233
46 SPAIN 233
47 ST LUCIA 233
48 BELIZE 230
49 CYPRUS 230
50 ITALY 230
51 MEXICO 230
52 SAMOA WESTERN 230
53 SINGAPORE 230
54 SOLOMON ISLANDS 230
55 TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO 230
56 ARGENTINA 227
57 FIJI 223
58 ISRAEL 223
59 MONGOLIA 223
60 SAO TOME AND PERINI 223
61 EL SALVADOR 220
62 FRANCE 220
63 HONG KONG 220
64 INDONESIA 220
65 KYRGYZSTAN 220
66 MALDIVES 220
67 SLOVENIA 220
68 TAIWAN 220
69 TIMOR-LESTE 220
70 TONGA 220
71 CHILE 217
72 GRENADA 217
73 MAURITIUS 217
74 NAMIBIA 217
75 PARAGUAY 217
76 THAILAND 217
77 CZECH REPUBLIC 213
78 PHILIPPINES 213
79 TUNISIA 213
80 UZBEKISTAN 213
81 BRAZIL 210
82 CHINA 210
83 CUBA 210
84 GREECE 210
85 NICARAGUA 210
86 PAPUA NEW GUINEA 210
87 URUGUAY 210
88 GABON 207
89 GHANA 207
90 JAPAN 207
91 YEMEN 207
92 PORTUGAL 203
93 SRI LANKA 203
94 TAJIKISTAN 203
95 VIETNAM 203
96 IRAN 200
97 COMOROS 197
98 CROATIA 197
99 POLAND 197
100 CAPE VERDI 193
101 KAZAKHSTAN 193
102 MADAGASCAR 193
103 SOUTH KOREA 193
104 BANGLADESH 190
105 CONGO REPUBLIC 190
106 GAMBIA 190
107 HUNGARY 190
108 LIBYA 190
109 SOUTH AFRICA 190
110 CAMBODIA 187
111 ECUADOR 187
112 KENYA 187
113 LEBANON 187
114 MOROCCO 187
115 PERU 187
116 SENEGAL 187
117 BOLIVIA 183
118 HAITI 183
119 NEPAL 183
120 NIGERIA 183
121 TANZANIA 183
122 BENIN 180
123 BOTSWANA 180
124 GUINEA-BISSAU 180
125 INDIA 180
126 LAOS 180
127 MOZAMBIQUE 180
128 PALESTINE 180
129 SLOVAKIA 180
130 BURMA 177
131 MALI 177
132 MAURITANIA 177
133 TURKEY 177
134 ALGERIA 173
135 EQUATORIAL GUINEA 173
136 ROMANIA 173
137 BOSNIA & HERZE 170
138 CAMEROON 170
139 ESTONIA 170
140 GUINEA 170
141 JORDAN 170
142 SYRIA 170
143 SIERRA LEONE 167
144 AZERBAIJAN 163
145 CENTRAL AFRICAN RE 163
146 MACEDONIA 163
147 TOGO 163
148 ZAMBIA 163
149 ANGOLA 160
150 DJIBOUTI 160
151 EGYPT 160
152 BURKINA FASO 157
153 ETHIOPIA 157
154 LATVIA 157
155 LITHUANIA 157
156 UGANDA 157
157 ALBANIA 153
158 MALAWI 153
159 CHAD 150
160 IVORY COAST 150
161 NIGER 150
162 ERITREA 147
163 RWANDA 147
164 BULGARIA 143
165 LESOTHO 143
166 PAKISTAN 143
167 RUSSIA 143
168 SWAZILAND 140
169 GEORGIA 137
170 BELARUS 133
171 TURKMENISTAN 133
172 ARMENIA 123
173 SUDAN 120
174 UKRAINE 120
175 MOLDOVA 117
176 CONGO DEMOCRATIC 110
177 ZIMBABWE 110
178 BURUNDI 100

ShutterBug SG

My... aren't we all Red and Rosy...

Rolling Eyes