Welcome Denmark atop the chart of charts. Quality- of-life studies carried out using both objective and subjective criteria suggest there’s no better place in the world to live than in Hamlet’s old stomping ground. Why does the Danish peninsula, flat, windy and heavy on long, dark winters, hold that distinction? «The Danes proudly attribute their status as world’s happiest country to a number of factors, including a free, well-managed economy, high educational standards, social safety nets, and a receptiveness to those coming to live there,» wrote the magazine “Business Week” in probe that accompanied the release of the Gallup survey. But there are also intangibles, including hygge (pronounced “huga”), which the magazine called “a friendly and relaxed feeling based on strong family ties.” Wrote one “Business Week” reader: «Danish happiness doesn’t hinge on hygge alone, but also on the confidence people have in authorities, in the judiciary, police, teachers, doctors, neighbors, and even politicians…» I say «chart of charts» because so far there’s really no one unique way of measuring personal welfare. Instead, there are number of recognized scientific methods that, when combined, give a fairly precise indication of how the world feels about its day-to-day. 

Researchers at the U.S. Gallup Poll agree that national happiness represents a vital indicator in assessing a country’s business and political climate. In 2008, it released its first Annual Report on State of the World. Citizens of 144 nations were asked for their views on individual well-being, personal finances, health, education, security, as well as how they regarded their national institutions. «The results,» said the report, whose general findings were obtained by east, «represent the most comprehensive information concerning the current state of mind, beliefs and aspirations of the people of Earth.» The perception of well-being was based on the 10-rung Ladder of Life scale developed by psychologist and social researcher Hadley Cantril, with the bottom rung of his ladder representing the worst possible situation and the top one representing the best. Respondents, approximately 1,000 each country, were asked where on the ladder they felt they might fit in. The Gallup poll asked respondents to assess the state of their present life and their expectations for the future. The responses were then divided into three categories: Thriving. Well-being that was strong, consistent, and progressing. These people had a positive view of their present life situation (7+) and a positive one of the next five years (8+). Struggling Well-being that was moderate or inconsistent. Respondents have moderate views of their present life situation or moderate or negative views of their future. They are either struggling in the present, or expect to struggle in the future. Suffering. Well-being was considered at high risk. These people had poor ratings of their current life situation (4 and below) and negative views of the next five years (4 and below). This breakdown permitted researchers to correlate wellbeing with work situations, health and the environment. In Italy, for example, 39 of 100 respondents ranked themselves as “thriving,” compared to the European average of 28 and the world average of 21. The “struggling” numbered 57, the same as the European average (the world average is 63). Only four of every 100 said they were “suffering,” compared an average of 12 in Europe and 11 worldwide. But in the overall well-being index, the general average, Italians ranked the country a sevenminus, which placed Italy in 24th place, behind 11 European countries, the United States, Australia, as well as Costa Rica and Saudi Arabia. In general terms, however, the Gallup Poll was good news for Europe. Its find ings (which broadly reflect the first half of 2008) saw six European countries atop the list topped by Denmark, Finland and Norway. Among the major EU nations, Spain, France and Great Britain all beat Italy by placing closer to higher than the 7-mark. Germany, meanwhile, languished in 31st place. As other surveys have already shown, Germany is burned by the difficulties concentrated in the former East Germany. EU countries that were once part of the Soviet empire showed mixed results, with the Czech in 30th place, Hungary in 90th, and Bulgaria buried at 140, beneath both Burkina Faso and Afghanistan. Only Croatia escaped a dire report card from the former Yugoslavia: Bosnia was 93rd, Macedonia 115th. As for the rest of the world, Canada ranked 9th, the U.S. 13th, while most Central and South American nations performed respectably; Panama, the best, ranked 20th and Uruguay, the worst, stood 50th. Destitute Haiti was the exception, ranking 142, five notches from the bottom. Among the other large nations, Japan was in 38th place, Russia in 52nd, India 78th, with China relegated to 96th. Africa showed acceptable living conditions only in Botswana, Tunisia, Morocco and South Africa, while the other nations of the continent were buried deep in the rankings.

Gallup’s results, which furnish a detailed global snapshot, have a European counterpart in Eurobarometer, a twice-annual survey commissioned by the European Commission and introduced in 1973. Eurobarometer data gauges the well-being of EU citizens based on a sampling of approximately 1,000 citizens of EU states. Eurobarometer asks questions similar to the ones on the Cantril Ladder of Life, but measures the results on a scale of 1 to 4, based on personal satisfaction this year and views about what’s ahead for next year. The latest survey, based on fieldwork conducted in January and February 2009 and published in July, reflects European concern about the global economic crisis, but remains generally positive. On average, 75 percent of Europeans said they were “satisfied” with their lives (17 said they were “very satisfied,” while 58 were “fairly satisfied). Another 24 percent said they were either “partially” (19) or “completenaly” (5) dissatisfied. Forecasts for the rest of the year were stagnant, with only 22 percent foreseeing improvement, 21 percent a worsening, and 54 saying things would remain more or less the same. How do the attitudes of European nations rate against the general average? Once again, Denmark sits atop the happiness ladder: 98 percent of Danes expressed “satisfaction” with their lives and of that number, 65 percent said they were “very satisfied” (the first rung of the ladder). Nor are Danes concerned about the future, with only seven percent expecting their situation to worsen. Holland and Sweden were close to Denmark in the rankings, while Bulgaria (57 percent “dissatisfied”), Hungary (55) and Portugal (53) were the most poorly placed. Eurobarometer placed Italy worst among major European countries. Only 60 percent said they were “satisfied” (of which only four percent were “very satisfied”), compared to a 79 percent “satisfied” rate in Spain and France, 82 percent in Germany, and 90 percent in Britain. 

What then are the determining factors in any selfevaluation regarding the definition of individual happiness? One important answer comes from the World Values Survey (WVS), an international network of researchers based in Stockholm and run by University of Michigan political scientist Ronald Inglehart. Since 1981, the WVS has been collecting data 350,000 in 97 countries in an effort to compare reported happiness with perceived values. Inglehart’s latest round of results, registered in 2008, again emphasize the importance of economic prosperity, but not at the expense of other considerations. Yet again, Denmark leads the pack. But Puerto Rico is a surprising second. The island has a wonderful climate and maintained an income tax-free status as a result of its unincorporated status with the United States. Third is Colombia, which despite high levels drug related violence nonetheless has a population that’s pleased both with high level of education and excellent interracial ties. These surprising rankings, says Inglehart, have a moral: «Money matters but it’s not everything,» he says. A perceived sense of freedom, social solidarity and, in the poorest countries, attachment to religious beliefs and national institutions, also play a central role in how people view their lives. In richer countries, tolerance also makes a difference. «In the past quarter century, the European countries whose residents are most satisfied have seen increases in gender equality and the acceptance of minorities and homosexuals,» observes Inglehart. «For example, Switzerland, which is in seventh place, has elected two women heads of state over the past decade, while Iceland (fourth) has passed laws ensuring gay couples receive the same rights as heterosexual couples.»

But differences in cultural attitudes still make the data subject to doubt. For example, it’s fair to assume that only few Italians will call themselves “very satisfied” or “very happy” because tradition scorns the flaunting of good fortune. Nordic inhabitants by contrast are more than happy to admit what they earn, and therefore vocal about how much it pleases them. It therefore becomes useful to compare the perception of some respondents against those of others to determine a “truer” state of wellness. Britain’s University of Leicester used this approach in compiling its Atlas of Happiness, released in March 2007. The map was based on 80,000 answers from residents of 178 countries and included additional data from UNESCO, the CIA, the World Health Organization, the New Economics Foundation, and other sources. Adrian White, the social psychologist who oversaw the research, said researchers averaged out results based on three main happiness indicators, health, wealth and education. In Europe, the Atlas listed Denmark first, followed by Switzerland, Austria and Iceland. Also in the top 12 were Finland, Ireland, Sweden and Luxembourg. Only three non European countries made the list, the Bahamas (residents praised climate and the strong family values), Bhutan (a strong sense of national identity and limitations on foreign tourism, which would introduce different lifestyle models), Brunei (oil revenue, free medical services, absence of poverty) and Canada (good social services, low crime rates). Asian countries faired poorly. China ranked 82nd, Japan 90th, and India 125th.

By itself, GNP may be seen as an inadequate indicator, but it does have the advantage of being one number assigned to one country. Attempts at replace it with a broader global index that takes into account other social factors has so far yielded unsatisfactory results. The most significant of these alternate indices is the Human Development Index (HDI) and the Happy Planet Index (HPI). The HDI is sponsored by UN development agency UNDP, which just released its latest rankings. The index takes into account per capita GDP based on purchasing power parity, level of education (literacy rate and percentage of university-level students) and life expectancy at birth. Five nations top the survey: Norway, Australia, Iceland, Canada and Ireland. Denmark ranks only 16th, in part because its residents have a shorter average life expectancy, 78 years (the number is 81 in Italy, which ranks 18th). But how to combine an examination quality of life in terms that also include the depletion of environmental resources? To answer the question, the Happy Planet Index (HPI), developed by the New Economics Foundation (NEF) came up with a different set of criteria. HPI combines life hopes, declared satisfaction, and an “ecological footprint,” a calculation of the relationship between satisfaction and the consumption of natural resources. According to the 2009 HPI, which was based on data collected in 2005, the world should move to Central America. Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Guatemala occupied the top four places. But since HPI ignores GDP, plenty of nations mired in profound economic woe also appeared high on the list: Vietnam is sixth and Egypt 12th. Miserable Haiti was 42nd, while Italy ranked only 69th and Australia 102nd. In short, for all the HPI’s good intentions, its results are questionable. Maybe it reflects the happiness of the planet in all its amplitude, but certainly not in terms of the satisfaction of its inhabitants.