Study finds Scandivian countries, Australia and NZ as world's happiest countries

[cowcommander]

The Top 5 Happiest countries in the World

1. Norway
2. Denmark
3. Finland
4. Australia
5. New Zealand

To build its index Legatum gathers upward of a dozen international surveys done by the likes of the Gallup polling group, the Heritage Foundation and the World Economic Forum. Each country is ranked on 89 variables sorted into eight subsections: economy, entrepreneurship, governance, education, health, safety, personal freedom and social capital.

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-37522775

[marmar]

1. ScandiNAVIAN?

:)

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. How can that be? Scandinavia is a socialist hellhole.

It's not possible for people to live under socialism and be happy. All that free college, free child care, pensions, free health care! Poor slobs, how can they stand it? This survey must be based on inaccurate data -- just look at all those thousands of Norwegians and Danes and Finns sneaking illegally into the U.S. to get away from those horrors!

[aquart]

3. We used to get lots of them.

Then they went socialist and the blond immigration dried right up.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. I wish I could move there.

But my ancestors left Norway in the 1870s, much too long ago for me to have a chance to move back there. I think they will only take you back if you are one or maybe two generations removed.

[Raine]

18. Sometimes I wish my grandparents had never left Norway.

Of course if they hadn't I guess I wouldn't have been born but sometimes even that doesn't seem so bad. :yoiks:

[Dappleganger]

10. Social democracy...

but it seems to work splendiciously. ;)

[old mark]

19. They must be hiding in the masses of Canadians coming here every day

to take advantage of our health care system and prescription prices...

We're number 1, ya know...

:rofl:

mark

[Sonoman]

4. I used to date a Laplander from Norway.

She grew up north of the Circle in a family of nomadic reindeer herders.

We spent a lot of time in Norway and I can attest to the fact that Norway is the best country I have visited in which to go out drinking.

And the women are pretty damned striking, as well.

Sonoman

[Swamp Rat]

5. No way. The happiest people I ever met were Brazilians.

I lived in Norway, and most people seemed depressed half the time (though they were light years better off financially than Brazilians)... except when they were shit-faced drunk on the weekends. No offense to my Norwegian friends (who know what I am talking about).

Furthermore, anything statistics that utilizes Heritage Foundation data is gonna produce bull shit.

[cowcommander]

7. What's wrong with Heritage Foundation data?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

9. One should be skeptical of anything that comes out of a right-wing think tank.

[LiberalEsto]

15. Right wingers supported by the Koch Bros. nt

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

8. You'd think the Heritage Foundation would reject data

suggesting that people who lived in those horrible, oppressive socialist countries could possibly be happy.

[Swamp Rat]

12. Very good point!

Maybe they just like white people more than they hate socialists? :shrug:

[Violet_Crumble]

11. Yes way. It's not about who you think is happy in yr personal circle...

They used a lot of indicators which make a lot more sense than 'who Swamp Rat thinks is unhappy or happy'. It's really about quality of life and accesses to services like healthcare and education than about whether some individuals you know are walking round with smiles plastered on their faces...

I'm happy :)

[Swamp Rat]

13. LOL!!! Poor me and my little Brazilian circle!

:rofl: I guess my Norwegian friends who keep begging me to put them up with family in Brazil must be crazy! :D

[Violet_Crumble]

14. It's not about you and yr circle of friends and pretty photos...

I thought I'd been clear about that in my post, but maybe it wasn't clear enough. It's not about you and yr circle of friends and how happy or not they are. The indicators were a whole lot of things like access to education and healthcare, civil liberties and that sort of stuff. You and yr group of friends wasn't one of the indicators. I hope that's cleared up any confusion...

[Swamp Rat]

17. I hope you know that I am mostly joking, except the part about the Heritage Foundation.

Btw, I really liked Norway for many reasons, but it is too damn cold. ;)

















ad infinitum...

[Violet_Crumble]

21. OMG! You could have warned me about the ugliness of that set of photos!!

Sorry. I must have been in total serious mood and took what you said too seriously :)

When it comes to the Heritage Foundation, that might be why the US was ranked at #10. I was surprised to see it appear there given the state of the US healthcare system and issues with civil liberties. Though they did get it right about Australia being a happy place :hi:

[yodermon]

24. the juxtaposition of those 2 series of photos is quite striking

[malaise]

16. I know Denmark best of the Scandinavians

and believe me they are happy. Who wouldn't be happy given the benefits of Social Democracy.

Brazil is gorgeous though!

[salin]

23. perhaps... (and no question per questioning HF stats)... but counterpoint -

half of my (extended) family lives in Norway. Those I spend the most time with (on biannual visits) are far past the age of getting shit-faced drunk on the weekends. Overall they are more content than many age peers here. Granted it is a very small and subjective sample size :D

Btw - long time since the last time our paths crossed - great to see you! :hi:

[usregimechange]

20. US # 10, could be a lot worse

[girl gone mad]

22. Can't be true! They're socialists!

I've been told that communist funded capitalism is the greatest, most productive, wonderful, shiny system in the world.