George Lombard

Iceland and Australia top happiness poll
Roger Maynard in Sydney
Wednesday June 28, 2006
Guardian
They are as different as two countries can be: one big, the other small; one hot, the other cold; and at opposite ends of the world from each other. But if it's happiness you're after, Iceland and Australia are the best places to live in the world.
A new study that seeks to go beyond the simple measure of GDP and gauge more subtle aspects of wellbeing such as life-expectancy, education and living standards, puts Iceland top of the international happiness scale, with Australia a close second.
At the bottom end, the economists Andrew Leigh, of the Australian National University, and Justin Wolfers, of Wharton University, Pennsylvania, ranked Russians, Ukrainians, Romanians and Bulgarians as the world's most miserable.
Interestingly, happiness was not always dependent on wealth. The study showed that OECD statistics suggested relatively poor countries such as Mexico and Nigeria were happier than some developed nations. The economists decided to study national happiness quotas because they suspected a nation's GDP was not always a reliable measure for gauging well-being.
Using the Human Development Index, which combines life-expectancy, education and GDP, the researchers found that Australians were happier than most other people despite longer hours and a lower level of job satisfaction.
Dr Leigh told the Guardian that Australia's happiness could be due to several factors. "The weather could be part of it, though that flies in the face of the Iceland experience," he acknowledged. "Beyond that, economic growth and democracy also seem to play a role. We enjoy a high standard of living and places that have more sun tend to be happier."
The Australians have featured prominently in cross-national happiness surveys since the 1940s but this is the first time international research has compared such a broad range of data to reach its conclusions.

Hutch

So the Aussies have it sussed - think some of the poms living here still have some work to do though!

NKSK version 2

This is interesting because in spite of all the moaning that I do on here about build quality, banks, unions, service, education etc etc, I do feel strangely happy and content.

The weather and the environment certainly have a big part to play. I cycled from Trigg to Hillary's today and it was absolutely gorgeous. Sparkling blue sea, beautiful sea smells, 20 degrees and with all the keep fit addicts along the route, some delightful bums (ladies) to sneek a peek at as I was making my merry way along the cycle path.

And it's mid-winter.

wafc

Hopefully I'll be heading out for some of that happiness in the not too distant future!!

Supposedly reaching 39 degrees in the UK tomorrow but it wont make me happy!

si.young

Right, I'm off to Iceland

possoms

lol

ELLJAY

No you're not :scared:

Someone once said -

"Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be"

L-j