First Ever World Map of Happiness Produced

[spindrifter]

Physorg.com
July 28, 2006

Adrian White, an analytic social psychologist at the University’s School of Psychology, analysed data published by UNESCO, the CIA, the New Economics Foundation, the WHO, the Veenhoven Database, the Latinbarometer, the Afrobarometer, and the UNHDR, to create a global projection of subjective well-being: the first world map of happiness.

The projection, which is to be published in a psychology journal this September, will be presented at a conference later in the year. Participants in the various studies were asked questions related to happiness and satisfaction with life. The meta-analysis is based on the findings of over 100 different studies around the world, which questioned 80,000 people worldwide. For this study data has also been analysed in relation to health, wealth and access to education.

<snip>

"There is increasing political interest in using measures of happiness as a national indicator in conjunction with measures of wealth. A recent BBC survey found that 81% of the population think the Government should focus on making us happier rather than wealthier.

<snip>

"Further analysis showed that a nation's level of happiness was most closely associated with health levels (correlation of .62), followed by wealth (.52), and then provision of education.

<more>

http://www.physorg.com/news73321785.html

[paparush]

1. My unhappiness quotient is raised by that TINY F#CKING GRAPHIC!

*whew* ok..deep breath...

[high density]

2. here's a nice big PDF for you

http://www.le.ac.uk/pc/aw57/world/the%20global%20projection%20of%20subjective%20well-being.pdf

Flash version and other formats:
http://www.le.ac.uk/pc/aw57/world/sample.html

[paparush]

6. Thank you! I'm feeling much happier now... : - ) : - )

[Selatius]

3. How does one define "happiness"???

How could we beat the French and the Germans and the Japanese as far as "happiness" goes but not the Swiss, the Swedes, or the Canadians? I'm sure there are plenty more variables than just health, wealth, and education.

I would add that capitalism as a system should not be taken as simply a national issue but an international issue. With globalization, I would say those unhappiest with capitalism are those in the third world who are at the bottom of the totem pole. Cheaply made goods that make you happy probably come at the expense of third world workers who enjoy polluted environments, weak labor protections, and lack of democratic freedom.

[tridim]

4. Denmark is the #1 happiest country

And :smoke: is legal there. Makes sense.

[IChing]

8. Sorry not true my kids live there

It is tolerated but not legal,
The conservative government ( he supports Bush) destroyed Christiania

http://cannabisnews.com/news/18/thread18086.shtml

[BrklynLiberal]

5. Consdiering the general state of America's health, I am surprised it is

as high as it is on the list. I think Americans were lying to the person taking the survey.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

9. I think Americans are lying to themselves...

seems like if they have their plasmas and cheetos they can block out everything else. :(

[BrklynLiberal]

10. You are probably right. Look at what they did at the polls in 2002 and

2004. I figure 2000 they did ok, since it was the Supremes that put Dimson in office then.

[Bucky]

7. According to this map the happiest place on earth is the Caspian Sea

They're blowing the roof off that chart! Go Caspian fishies!!

[Poll_Blind]

11. Doesn't some James Bond villain live there with a go-go boot chick-army?

I'd be pretty happy too. In theory, anyway.

PB