Study: Wealthier Nations Generally Happier

Wealthier nations are generally happier ones; and, although the correlation is far from one-to-one, it is quite striking overall.

The study by Ronald Inglehart and H-D. Klingemann, "Genes, Culture and Happiness," MIT Press, 2000, compared GDP versus the mean percentage of the population subjectively happy with life as a whole, as determined by surveys.

The richest nations, the United States and Switzerland, in that order, had average happiness levels of 85% and above.  The poorest nations, Nigeria and Bangladesh, respectively, had happiness ratings of around 75%, though these nations were actually anomolies -- most nations with comparable wealth levels ranked lower on the happiness scale, as examination of the chart shows.

It is perhaps not surprising that the happy and prosperous countries also tend to be democratic with free markets.

See also Wealth and Happiness Don't Necessarily Go Hand in Hand, Wall Street Journal 8/13/04 via Van Sloan (sq.4mg.com).