The Swiss are the happiest in the world. This is what the latest Global Happiness Report says. Social connection is key, according to the experts who wrote it.
No offense to Paul Fort, happiness is not in the meadow… but on the other side of the border. The Swiss are the world champions of happiness, according to the latest ” World Happiness Report. »France, it ranks at the 29e position.
Northern Europe champion
Our Swiss neighbors are the happiest in the world and dethrone Denmark. This is what the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, author of this report, concludes. And happiness isn’t just about money and life expectancy, in the eyes of experts. Trust in institutions and businesses and social support are also key elements of a happy society. To establish this ranking of 158 countries, questionnaires were sent in each country, to at least 2,000 people.
It is no real surprise that Northern Europe dominates the ranking. Behind Switzerland are Iceland, Denmark and Norway. It is Canada which closes this “Top 5.” France is less happy than the United States (15e) or Germany (26e), but it is far ahead of its Spanish neighbors (36e), Italian (50e) or Belgian (99e).
Happiness from childhood
At the top of the ranking, the average income per person obviously influences the level of happiness. But social support is the second most influential factor, followed by life expectancy. The importance of a united society is, moreover, the great novelty of this report. The evolution of the ranking since the crisis shows it well: “If the institutions and the social fabric are sufficiently strong, economic crises and natural disasters can lead to improvements rather than a degradation of the social fabric”, write the rapporteurs. . This is probably why Ireland (18e) and Iceland (2e), hit hard by the financial crisis, are doing so well.
But happiness doesn’t start in adulthood. More work is needed on this criterion from childhood, in the eyes of experts. And it is not the academic results that will make a happy adult, but the emotional development. “A positive outlook from the early years of life is desirable in itself, but it also lays the foundation for happiness in adulthood,” comments Prof. Richard Layard. We need to invest sooner so that our children grow up and become independent, productive and happy. “
With this 3e edition, the World Happiness Report hopes to change states. “The aspiration of a society is the development of its members. This report shows how to achieve social well-being, analyzes Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute. It is not only money, but also justice, honesty, trust and good health. “
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