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World’s happiest countries
By Chris Helmen | Forbes – Tue, Jan 15, 2013 6:32 PM EST
Norway tops the list of happiest countries in the world. (Photo: Torsten Laursen / Getty Images)
What does happiness mean to you? At its core it consists of being
healthy, having enough food to feed yourself and your family and enough
to money to do what you want and buy what you want. For most people that
entails a nice home, decent clothes, a car or two, cable TV, good times
with family and friends.
Furthermore, happiness means being able to
speak what’s on your mind without fear, to worship the God of your
choosing, and to feel safe and secure in your own home.The World’s Happiest Countries:
1. Norway
2. Denmark
3. Sweden
4. Australia
5. New Zealand
6. Canada
7. Finland
8. The Netherlands
9. Switzerland
10. IrelandHappiness
means having opportunity – to get an education, to be an entrepreneur.
What’s more satisfying than having a big idea and turning it into a
thriving business, knowing all the way that the harder you work, the
more reward you can expect?With this in mind, six years ago
researchers at the Legatum Institute, a London-based nonpartisan think
tank, set out to rank the happiest countries in the world. But because
“happy” carries too much of a touchy-feely connotation, they call it
“prosperity.”The objective of the institute’s work (which is
part of billionaire Christopher Chandler’s Dubai-based Legatum Group)
was to figure out what it is that makes happy countries happy – so that
the less fortunate corners of the globe might have a benchmark to work
toward.The resulting Legatum Prosperity Index is based on a
study of 142 countries comprising 96% of global population. Nations are
analyzed and ranked on 89 indicators in eight categories, such as
education, government and economics. The inputs for the index are both
objective and subjective. It’s not enough to just look at per capita GDP
or unemployment rates. It also matters how hard people think it is to
find jobs, or how convinced they are that hard work can bring success.The
core conceit: Prosperity is complex; achieving it relies on a
confluence of factors that build on each other in a virtual circle.So
who are the happiest people in the world, as measured by Legatum?
Norway takes the crown, followed by Denmark and Sweden (which
leapfrogged Australia and New Zealand this year). Rounding out the
Scandinavians is Finland, just a few steps behind in the seventh spot.Luxembourg is
the healthiest nation on Earth. Iceland is the safest. Switzerland has
the world’s best economy and governance, according to Legatum.What’s
Norway got that the rest of the world doesn’t? For one thing, a
stunning per capita GDP of $57,000 a year. Norwegians have the
second-highest level of satisfaction with their standards of living:
Ninety-five percent say they are satisfied with the freedom to choose
the direction of their lives; an unparalleled 74% say other people can
be trusted. It sure doesn’t hurt that the massive Norwegian welfare
state is bankrolled by high taxes and big reserves of offshore oil and
gas.Indeed, most of the top 20 “happiest” countries according to
the index are in western Europe. So what gives? What do these nations
have in common that can somehow explain their prosperity?Being
an electoral democracy is virtually a given – of the top 20 most
prosperous countries, only Singapore and Hong Kong aren’t democracies.
Being small also seems to help. Big countries with heterogeneous
populations are more unwieldy; disparate groups make it harder for a
society to build social cohesion and trust.What else? They are
all borderline socialist states, with generous welfare benefits and lots
of redistribution of wealth. Yet they don’t let that socialism cross
the line into autocracy. Civil liberties are abundant (consider
decriminalized drugs and prostitution in the Netherlands). There are few
restrictions on the flow of capital or of labor.So where does
the United States rank? It’s at 12th place this year, slipping from
10th. According to Legatum, the U.S. has slipped in the areas of
governance, personal freedom, and most troubling, in entrepreneurship
& opportunity. America is supposed to be the land of opportunity,
but Legatum notes “a decline in citizens’ perception that working hard
gets you ahead.”1,630 comments
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The mentality is
different too. They don’t live to work, they work to live! The benefits
systems in those countries are amazing too. It’s not all about money. -
191users liked this commentPlease sign in to rate a Thumb UpPlease sign in to rate a Thumb Down20users disliked this commentAJH
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Perhaps we can all learn something from the Scandinavian countries!
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155users liked this commentPlease sign in to rate a Thumb UpPlease sign in to rate a Thumb Down18users disliked this commentNot sure about the merits of these ratings, but most places were predictable.
We, Canada, are number 6, which isn’t bad at all.
There are 3 of our cousins on the list, thought Irland’s 10th place could be up for a debate.
The Scandinavian countries (+ Finland) are the usual suspects in… More
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17users liked this commentPlease sign in to rate a Thumb UpPlease sign in to rate a Thumb Down0users disliked this commentG
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Notice….All these countries DO NOT spend their money on Military power.
They DO spend money on the elderly and medical.
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343users liked this commentPlease sign in to rate a Thumb UpPlease sign in to rate a Thumb Down57users disliked this commentlily
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Not
surprised. When you travel in Europe you can see it everywhere. The
quality of life, eating and drinking well, advanced technology (washer
dryer in one machine, lights that go on /off automatically when needed,
cheap cell phone deals), 6 week vacations, no guns/guards in schools etc -
68users liked this commentPlease sign in to rate a Thumb UpPlease sign in to rate a Thumb Down7users disliked this commentdraw
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Norwegians
enjoy the second highest GDP per-capita (after Luxembourg) and fourth
highest GDP (PPP) per-capita in the world. Today, Norway ranks as the
second wealthiest country in the world in monetary value, with the
largest capital reserve per capita of any nation.According to the CIA
World… More -
260users liked this commentPlease sign in to rate a Thumb UpPlease sign in to rate a Thumb Down40users disliked this commentI dont see the US on that list… Just saying.
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442users liked this commentPlease sign in to rate a Thumb UpPlease sign in to rate a Thumb Down73users disliked this commentBittle
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Mostly
scandanavian countries on that list. When American’s keep saying that
they live in the best country on the earth because they are the only
country where freedom and creative forward ideas exist I laugh. I’ve
always found the scandanavian countries to seem the most forward
thinking, in terms… More -
12users liked this commentPlease sign in to rate a Thumb UpPlease sign in to rate a Thumb Down0users disliked this commentozz2
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hmm what is the main thing these countries have in common hmm
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58 minutes ago
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