" Feeling sad? Researchers at Britain's University of Leicester reckon you might just be in the wrong country. According to Adrian White, an analytic social psychologist at Leicester who developed the first "World Map of Happiness," Denmark is the happiest nation in the world.
White's research used a battery of statistical data, plus the subjective responses of 80,000 people worldwide, to map out well-being across 178 countries. Denmark and five other European countries, including Switzerland, Austria, and Iceland, came out in the top 10, while Zimbabwe and Burundi pulled up the bottom.
Not surprisingly, the countries that are happiest are those that are healthy, wealthy, and wise. "The most significant factors were health, the level of poverty, and access to basic education," White says. Population size also plays a role. Smaller countries with greater social cohesion and a stronger sense of national identity tended to score better, while those with the largest populations fared worse. China came in No. 82, India ranked 125, and Russia was 167. The U.S. came in at 23. "
Switzerland-2
Luxembourg-10
Japan-90
India-125..:((
Zimbabwe-177
........(article continues.)
User comments on this article in businessweek.com, are varied. While the person who had posted this entry hails frm denmark and has spent 10 months in the US, one of the commenting ppl also hails from denmark and visits often even tho he has been living in the US for 38 years! While the latter has talked abt the impossibility of denmark being the happiest, the author of the post seems to agree with these rankings. it was interesting to go thru the whole page.
What i am curious to find is some more info abt the Indian scenario on this newly evolving 'happiness index'. Also Bhutan's position is worth some more attention, as it was its former king who coined the very term 'gross national happiness'.
Well, one question-Do u think u are happy?
White's research used a battery of statistical data, plus the subjective responses of 80,000 people worldwide, to map out well-being across 178 countries. Denmark and five other European countries, including Switzerland, Austria, and Iceland, came out in the top 10, while Zimbabwe and Burundi pulled up the bottom.
Not surprisingly, the countries that are happiest are those that are healthy, wealthy, and wise. "The most significant factors were health, the level of poverty, and access to basic education," White says. Population size also plays a role. Smaller countries with greater social cohesion and a stronger sense of national identity tended to score better, while those with the largest populations fared worse. China came in No. 82, India ranked 125, and Russia was 167. The U.S. came in at 23. "
Switzerland-2
Luxembourg-10
Japan-90
India-125..:((
Zimbabwe-177
........(article continues.)
User comments on this article in businessweek.com, are varied. While the person who had posted this entry hails frm denmark and has spent 10 months in the US, one of the commenting ppl also hails from denmark and visits often even tho he has been living in the US for 38 years! While the latter has talked abt the impossibility of denmark being the happiest, the author of the post seems to agree with these rankings. it was interesting to go thru the whole page.
What i am curious to find is some more info abt the Indian scenario on this newly evolving 'happiness index'. Also Bhutan's position is worth some more attention, as it was its former king who coined the very term 'gross national happiness'.
Well, one question-Do u think u are happy?
Posts
3 comments:
the source article's web address :
http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/
oct2006/gb20061011_072596.htm
a blog, giving complete article:
http://consciouscommunities.blogspot.com/2007/04/
could-community-happiness-index-be.html
hope it was an interesting read.
cares n prayers
-ritu
I am happy wid the way thngs are going n content wid my life...Wonder y ppl are dissatisfied...
Felt sad seeing those datasheets regarding Happiness Index..India's position hurts...the simple reason behind it wud the population coz itz the %ages that matter in such surveys...
I feel if a one to one survey is done...India wud emerge to be among the highest in no. of Happy people...N their MEASURE OF HAPPINESS....though offcourse in a huge country like India which is still in its developing phase there wud always be a huge no. of need deprived ppl who wont be happy...
Waise a nice thng to think upon...
Keep Posting...
Take Care...
-Aditya
thanx.
certainly the listing of the 'wealth' of happiness alongside meterial wealth(or poverty, for that matter), should becum the basis for assessing net wealth.
i also felt the same abt the percentages factor u mentioned. generally the so called 'developing' countries always seem to be a happier lot!
The latest census 2010, being developed by Economists at the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), shall be quite noteworthy.
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