Happiest Countries in the World Revealed

It’s that time of year again when the ‘happiest’ country in the world is revealed… and for the third year running the crown goes to Australia.

The OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) has just produced its annual ‘Better Life Index’ where 34 nations across the world were assessed to ascertain the happiest destinations overall. The survey is based on 11 separate criteria across various economic aspects, from housing and income through to work/life balance and life satisfaction as a whole.

And Australia again ranks top of the pile thanks to exceptionally high levels of wellbeing and personal prosperity. In fact over 73% of working age Australians are in paid employment, beating the average figure from the OECD survey. And Australians have a greater life expectancy, at 82 years.

Second happiest is Sweden, which often tops the best place to live and happiest nations surveys year after year. The Swedish are happiest with their environment and life satisfaction: both are above the OECD average. Curiously the Swedish recorded a lower than average score in the income field: proving that money isn’t everything!

The USA appears sixth on the list with pretty average scores throughout the eleven categories.

The UK rounds off the Top 10 with lower than average scores in civic engagement (which includes voting rates) and community, but conversely higher than average score in the life satisfaction category. The UK has just emerged from a double dip recession and a really long cold winter, which impacts outlook and mood.