From Forbes

World's Happiest Places

Where in the world do people feel most content with their lives?

According to a new report released by the Organization for Economic
Co-Operation and Development (OECD), a Paris-based group of 30 countries
with democratic governments that provides economic and social statistics
and data, happiness levels are highest in northern European countries.

Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands rated at the top of the list,
ranking first, second and third, respectively. Outside Europe, New
Zealand and Canada landed at Nos. 8 and 6, respectively. The U.S. did
not crack the top 10. Switzerland placed seventh and Belgium placed tenth.

In Depth: World's Happiest Places

The report looked at subjective well-being, defined as life
satisfaction. Did people feel like their lives were dominated by
positive experiences and feelings, or negative ones?

To answer that question, the OECD used data from a Gallup World Poll
conducted in 140 countries around the world last year. The poll asked
respondents whether they had experienced six different forms of positive
or negative feelings within the last day.

Some sample questions: Did you enjoy something you did yesterday? Were
you proud of something you did yesterday? Did you learn something
yesterday? Were you treated with respect yesterday? In each country, a
representative sample of no more than 1,000 people, age 15 or older,
were surveyed. The poll was scored numerically on a scale of 1-100. The
average score was 62.4.

Why did the northern European countries come out looking so good?
Overall economic health played a powerful role, says Simon Chapple,
senior economist from the Social Policy Division of the OECD, which put
together the report.

While the global economic crisis has taken a toll on every nation, the
countries that scored at the top still boast some of the highest gross
domestic product per capita in the world. Denmark, which got the highest
score, is not only a wealthy country, it's also highly productive, with
a 2009 GDP per capita of $68,000, according to the International
Monetary Fund. The United States' GDP per capita, by contrast, is
$47,335. Though the U.S. got an above-average score of 74, it did not
break the top 10.

Wealth alone does not bring the greatest degree of happiness. Norway has
the highest GDP per capita on the list--$98,822--yet it ranked ninth,
not first. On the other hand, New Zealand's happiness level is 76.7 out
of 100 on the OECD list, but its 2009 GDP per capita is just $30,556.

According to a 2005 editorial, published in the British Medical Journal
and authored by Dr. Tony Delamothe, research done in Mexico, Ghana,
Sweden, the U.S. and the U.K. shows that individuals typically get
richer during their lifetimes, but not happier. It is family, social and
community networks that bring joy to one's life, according to Delamothe.

The OECD data shows that another important factor is work-life balance.
While Scandinavian countries boast a high GDP per capita, the average
workweek in that part of the world is no more than 37 hours. In China,
which got a low score of just 14.8, the workweek is 47 hours and the GDP
per capita is just $3,600.

Low unemployment also contributes to happiness. "One thing we know for
sure," says the OECD's Chapple, "not having a job makes one
substantially less satisfied." Denmark's unemployment rate is just 2%,
according the C.I.A.'s World Factbook. Norway's is just 2.6%. The
Netherlands: just 4.5%. Many economists concur that a 4% unemployment
rate reflects a stable economy. The U.S. unemployment rate is currently 9%.

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And what is the Republican solution for improving the quality of life in
this country?

Well, other than more of the same crap that brought our economy to its
knees...nothing.

Some Republicans, though, think that making 2010 the year of the bible
will help.

Herr Krause. The world's happiest places are those places where you
are not found to be at the moment.