The Happiest People - The people of Costa Rica - financing education not war

[groovedaddy]

Hmmm. You think it’s a coincidence? Costa Rica is one of the very few countries to have abolished its army, and it’s also arguably the happiest nation on earth.

There are several ways of measuring happiness in countries, all inexact, but this pearl of Central America does stunningly well by whatever system is used. For example, the World Database of Happiness, compiled by a Dutch sociologist on the basis of answers to surveys by Gallup and others, lists Costa Rica in the top spot out of 148 nations.

That’s because Costa Ricans, asked to rate their own happiness on a 10-point scale, average 8.5. Denmark is next at 8.3, the United States ranks 20th at 7.4 and Togo and Tanzania bring up the caboose at 2.6.

Scholars also calculate happiness by determining “happy life years.” This figure results from merging average self-reported happiness, as above, with life expectancy. Using this system, Costa Rica again easily tops the list. The United States is 19th, and Zimbabwe comes in last.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/07/opinion/07kristof.html?th&emc=th

[stray cat]

1. Do Americans feel unhappy because they are more demanding?

and expect more comforts and securities

[katkat]

3. hard to imagine Americans would want more than the Danes have. n/t

[paulsby]

2. i've been there several times

mostly to enjoy the surf and food and i would have to agree it's a happy nation. nicaragua not so much :)