Denmark Happiest Country

The list of happiest countries is out and the US doesnt even make the top ten. Here is the list: Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Sweden, Ireland, Norway, New Zealand, Canada, Switzerland, Belgian.

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.

Economic indicators explain part of happiness. Those countries in the top ten have been least affected by the world wide recession. But wealthy US didnt come in the top ten, and New Zealand, poorer than the other top ten nations, came in 7th in happiness. so money doesnt explain happiness.

Balance between work and leisure is also important, with the scandinavian countries coming in top with balance: work week in Norway is only about 37 hrs. then again, the French work about 35 hrs a week, and they werent in top ten.

Low unemployment is also a factor: Norway's unemployment is about 2%, while the US is 9% and rising.

According to a 2005 editorial, published in the British Medical Journal and written 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.

That happiness is not connected with wealth gives me some consolation: I have accepted that I will not be a wealthy person by Sen. John McCain's standard (he said you need to have at least $5 million to be considered wealthy) but I still have a shot at happiness.