According to the UN World Happiness Report 2013, Danes are the happiest people in the world. Other northerners and northern Europeans are also happy. The situation is worse for the inhabitants of several African countries, who are not at all happy to the same extent.
Happiest in the world
According to the report, people in Denmark are the happiest in the world. The other Nordic countries also score well: Norway (2), Sweden (5), Finland (7) and Iceland (9). The Swiss and Dutch are also happy.
Less fortunate
Less fortunate are people in Togo, Benin, Central African Republic, Burundi and Rwanda. The greatest improvement since the last survey was experienced by the population of Angola, while the greatest deterioration was experienced by Egyptians.
Happiness in the world has increased
Happiness in the world has increased more than it has decreased, with the report's authors stating that "the world has become slightly happier and more generous over the past five years". The survey is based on a combination of measures such as GDP, life expectancy and survey responses on perceived freedom, generosity and connectedness. We wish you a happy Wednesday!
BP says:
It was a slightly unexpected result, I must say. Those of us who complain quite often about the weather, for example. On the other hand, how do you define happy?
11 September 2013 - 7:59
Cat's Considerations says:
Even for me it was unexpected, because we have high sickness rates and I don't really see my fellow Swedes as very happy in life.
11 September 2013 - 8:06
Mr Steve says:
I wish you the same. And I am happy.
11 September 2013 - 9:03
Lennart says:
Wishing you the same!
We are very happy with our decision to enter a new phase of life!
Live well!
11 September 2013 - 9:17
Alexandra says:
This is probably why we often complain about the weather and other little things because we are quite happy and don't have much else to complain about. 😉 Then I think it is good to whine a little sometimes if everyone just went around and was happy all the time, we would not develop or move forward in anything. But of course whining does not help...but whine and then do something about it! 😉
11 September 2013 - 13:18
peter olofsson says:
Yes, these surveys are always interesting, I just wrote about something similar a few minutes ago.
We read more and more erotic literature.... while more and more studies show that we have less 'sex' with each other!
But that doesn't apply to us with motorhomes! (smiles) Everyone knows what lecherous fellows we are!
http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/sverigeligger/article16791297.ab
Hm....but now sex and happiness don't have to go together...it's all a matter of interpretation.
Big Hugs from Oumberlige Peter and Pocket Hexan with the Motorhome "The Loowe Machine"!
11 September 2013 - 13:21
admin says:
BP, you can definitely think about how to judge happiness. I think people in (some) other countries can seem happier than us. But we should be pretty happy since we're pretty well off...?
Kattas Observation, no, Swedes are often perceived as a bit dissatisfied. But it may depend on how the questions are asked, and how much things like GDP and the like are taken into account....
Lennart, sometimes you need to move on! That will make you happy
😉
Alexandra, maybe that's the way it is - we complain about small things because we are quite happy in the big picture. Well, I also think you need to be able to complain about small things, even if you're doing well.
😉
Peter Olofsson, haha that was an interesting parallel! Maybe sex has nothing to do with happiness then...?? Or is it that we go around being so happy that we don't have time for sex...? Or maybe they simply forgot some important parameters in that study...?
😉
11 September 2013 - 13:58
Veiken says:
Everything is relative and depends on what/who you compare with and how high your expectations are!
Yes, I am happy as it is now anyway. One should not take anything for granted! Have a happy week! 🙂
11 September 2013 - 18:28
Della / Every Day an Adventure says:
It's a funny thing about trying to measure happiness in an objective way. I wonder if it's possible?
11 September 2013 - 19:49
Ditte says:
What is happiness? No easy answer to that, I think. Mental happiness, material happiness or...
Also, I think you can be happy one day and unhappy the next, so how do you count?
11 September 2013 - 19:59
Aniika says:
Yes, we are doing well here in the Nordic countries. But still. Other reports I have read show that "today's young people" are unhappier than ever. A lot of pressure and demands from the environment to be happy and "successful". That's difficult!
11 September 2013 - 20:36
admin says:
Veiken, I agree that you should not take anything for granted!
Della, that's not really possible... so the question is what you measure, of course.
Ditte, it seems that they have tried to weigh up both objective and subjective measures, but whether it is happiness that is being captured is perhaps difficult to know...
Aniika, I agree, sometimes it seems that young people are more unhappy than ever. A lot of opportunities and high demands may not always be so easy...
11 September 2013 - 22:29