Where in the World are People Happy, and Why?
Some thoughts on the geographical distribution of happiness, and ways to foster a happier society moving forward
By Prahlad Sankrti
Where in the world are people happy? According to the 2019 World Happiness Report, which ranks happiness by country based on self-reported responses to surveys of subjective well-being, the Scandinavian countries of Finland, Denmark, and Norway lead the way, while the United States sits in 19th, one place lower than last year. The Happy Planet Index, another measure of well-being which has emerged in recent times as a more holistic alternative to purely economic indicators (such as gross domestic product, or GDP), also takes into account a country’s environmental footprint, and suggests that the countries that maximize well-being in a sustainable way are those of Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region (wealthy Western countries rank much lower by this metric due to their large ecological impact).
As for what explains the variation in happiness among nations, the former report puts forth six variables: GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and the absence of corruption. But the macro data aside, what can we say about what makes people happy on a more personal level?
A key ingredient in the soup that is happiness is the feeling that one is a part of a community, and has a purpose beyond oneself. Cultures that prioritize having good relationships and selflessness seem to be happier than those that are more individualistic and self-centered in their goals. The small Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan is famous for prioritizing its own measure of well-being called gross national happiness, which former Prime Minister Jigmi Thinley noted went beyond material well-being (“Material well-being is only one component. That doesn't ensure that you're at peace with your environment and in harmony with each other”). Similarly, the Dalai Lama describes happiness as “characterized by inner peace and aris[ing] in the context of our relationships with others.” This seems to contradict an idea that many of us hold dear: that happiness is something we can achieve by ourselves just as we conquer a homework assignment or resolve a personal conflict. Rather, it would seem that happiness is instead something that sneaks up on us when we are immersed in the flow of loving and caring for each other. The Ancient Greeks realized this interesting truth about happiness (that it does not arise when we actively seek it), and termed this the “paradox of hedonism.”
On the other hand, a person cannot reach this state in the first place if they are too worried about where they are getting their next meal from. The world’s poorest countries are not its happiest by any measure, which suggests that there is a relationship between financial well-being and joy. Beyond a certain point, however, happiness stops being related to income (this is known as the Easterlin paradox). The idea is that money is a necessary condition for happiness, but not by itself sufficient.
But what does all this data (both macro and micro) tell us about what we can do to be happier, moving forward? While experiences of intense connectedness and joy are obviously subjective and impossible to define precisely, there is a sense in which a “science of well-being” is nonetheless possible. At the very least, by understanding why some countries and people are happier than others, we can help to foster people’s “inalienable right” to its pursuit, as the Founding Fathers put it. For instance, places where people have more “social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and the absence of corruption” are probably places where people will be happier, not to mention having policies designed to address mental health and allow people to be more creative and purposeful in their work. All these can contribute to a sense of contentment and help us catch up with other parts of the world, since we seem to lag behind on happiness.