The Swiss are the happiest in the world for 2015
The study, published by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), is a landmark survey of the state of global happiness.
The World Happiness Report originated from a project from Bhutan, a Buddhist kingdom of 700,000 people in the eastern Himalayas whose prime minister Jigmi Y Thinley, set out to measure Gross National Happiness.
Thinley got the United Nations to adopt a 2011 resolution inviting member nations to measure their happiness as a guide to improving public policies.
"Increasingly happiness is considered a proper measure of social progress and goal of public policy," the report says. Adding: "A rapidly increasing number of national and local governments are using happiness data and research in their search for policies that could enable people to live better lives".
According to the SDSN the challenge is to ensure that policies are designed and delivered in ways that enrich the social fabric, and teach the pleasure and power of empathy to current and future generations.
“Under the pressures of putting right what is obviously wrong, there is often too little attention paid to building the vital social fabric. Paying greater attention to the levels and sources of subjective well-being has helped us to reach these conclusions, and to recommend making and keeping happiness as a central focus for research and practice.”
The report states that at both individual and national levels, all measures of well-being, including emotions and life evaluations, are strongly influenced by the quality of the surrounding social norms and institutions.
“When these social factors are well-rooted and readily available, communities and nations are more resilient, and even natural disasters can add strength to the community as it comes together in response.”
Ten happiest countries in the world
1 Switzerland
Switzerland tops the rankings and the Swiss rate their lives highly because of the overall human development in Switzerland, long life expectancy and high incomes, which are all big drivers of life evaluation. While the report does not equate happiness with prosperity there is no getting away from the fact that Switzerland is a rich nation, with an average GDP per capita of $58,000. Switzerland is also the closest nation to a direct democracy where citizens, if they garner 50,000 signatures within 100 days of the publication of a new law, can propose almost any constitutional amendment they wish. Switzerland is an incredibly scenic country with beautiful lakes and mountains for all to enjoy. Add world-beating chocolate to the list and it is no surprise that the Swiss are so pleased with themselves.
2 Iceland
3 Denmark
4 Norway
5 Canada
6 Finland
7 The Netherlands
8 Sweden
9 New Zealand
10 Australia
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