Ipsos Global Poll: World Is Happier Place Than 2007

NEW YORK, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Despite economic woes, wars, conflicts and natural disasters the world is a happier place today than it was four years ago and Indonesians, Indians and Mexicans seem to be the most contented people on the planet.

More than three-quarters of people around the globe who were questioned in an international poll said they were happy with their lives and nearly a quarter described themselves as very happy.

"The world is a happier place today and we can actually measure it because we have been tracking it," said John Wright, senior vice president of Ipsos Global, which has surveyed the happiness of more than 18,000 people in 24 countries since 2007.

But he added that expectations of why people are happy should be carefully weighed.

"It is not just about the economy and their well being. It is about a whole series of other factors that make them who they are today."

Brazil and Turkey rounded out the top five happiest nations, while Hungary, South Korea, Russia, Spain and Italy had the fewest number of happy people.

Perhaps proving that money can't buy happiness, residents of some of the world biggest economic powers, including the United States, Canada and Britain, fell in the middle of the happiness scale.

"There is a pattern that suggests that there are many other factors beyond the economy that make people happy, so it does provide one element but it is not the whole story," said Wright.

"Sometimes the greatest happiness is a cooked meal or a roof over your head," he explained. "Relationships remain the No. 1 reason around the world where people say they have invested happiness and maybe in those cultures family has a much greater degree of impact."

Regionally Latin America had the highest number of happy people, followed by North America, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East and Africa. Only 15 percent of Europeans said they were very happy.

On a more personal note married couples tended to be happier than singles but men seemed to be as content as women. Education and age also had an impact with more people under 35 saying they are very happy than 25-49 year olds. Higher education also equated with higher happiness. (Reporting by Patricia Reaney,; editing by Jill Serjeant)

Comments

[hanoverboxer]

12:10 AM on 03/28/2012

If people in Mexico and India are so happy, then why do so many of their people want to come to this less happy country?

[tei]

10:02 PM on 03/05/2012

i notice some peoples cant take it if other peoples in other countries are happier than them...well its just survey, another survey might give another result. just dont take it seriously....you can find a happy person in every corner in this planet. and for the one who think money is the only reason for happines, then you should need to move on from superficial lifes, come happines come from within. your money only buy you a pleasure.

and lot of peoples surpised indonesia is in the list since they are country with lot muslim. listen indonesia is not like middle east, if u never visit indonesia, dont even compare them to situation in middle east countries. they are republic country not belonged to any religion law, they have lot christian, budhist and hindus in there. and their islam is preety much seculer or tolerate even compared to turkey.

[adhi1]

10:19 PM on 03/01/2012

i am indonesian, i dont have own house, a car and my salary only $300/month. But i have two great kids n i am very happy. I belive indians and mexicans are happy, because they are religious like us. I know this before. just easy, dont push yourself too much, be thankful with what we have. the rest is spent your time to God and others.

[milena007]

10:28 AM on 02/26/2012

3,000 were kidnapped in Mexico just in 2011...is a happy place?? NOPE

[maryellen1952]

12:29 PM on 02/22/2012

I left the U.S. for Mexico over one year ago and never regret the move. I only come to the U.S. for work and I am SO GLAD to return back to Mexico after only 4 hours in the U.S. Most people are not in a very happy mood in the U.S. with their low paying jobs and high cost of living. Wish I had made the move years ago when the U.S. economy tanked.

[DenverPainters]

02:35 AM on 02/15/2012

All You Need is Love
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLGWyfGk_LU

[Alexey Braguine]

09:02 AM on 02/14/2012

Happiness is eating a Chilean watermelon. :)

[suzanne hp]

01:22 AM on 02/14/2012

I am not believing this article at all..

[elcastle]

10:08 AM on 02/14/2012

Absolutely not either...they picked states with huge wealth disparity and don't tell me Mexico is one of 10 happiest places when one of 10 people in one family gets killed ....by drug cartels.

[PedroAnimala]

08:18 PM on 02/13/2012

my happiness will come when the empire is no more...

[Lohikaarme]

08:16 PM on 02/13/2012

For those who believe having $$ is attaining happiness then it will be a long time, maybe never, before they know what is to be happy.

[elcastle]

10:12 AM on 02/14/2012

I know what you mean, by my friends worst nightmares are because of lack of money and thereof troubles of helping sick mother, problems with getting job and thereof not having means to sustain their own kids....happiness doesn't necessary means you have to be wealthy but when money can buy you house, food, medical help - and that makes you happy - then yes, money are very important part in happiness and security.

[TechNerd415]

04:59 PM on 02/13/2012

Love how they America with the McDonald's pic instead of all the things that make the US great!

[emncaity]

06:33 PM on 02/13/2012

It's a corporation that has expanded its fingers into every corner of the globe. Seems appropriate to me.

[lareinemargot]

02:27 AM on 02/14/2012

That's very true. My earliest recollection of anything West was McDonald's - it's usually our first introduction as kids back in SEast Asia. I prefer A&W though.

[lokiesteve]

01:15 PM on 02/13/2012

One of the most difficult things in life is finding happiness. Mine will come with a lottery win of that I'm sure.

[jerdan25]

08:46 AM on 02/13/2012

I can see that some people don't like to see other people happy. Its scares them because they don't have it and can't buy it. It comes from within and has nothing to do with money, status or power. It start with being of service to others.

[LasloPferg]

01:37 AM on 02/13/2012

This article is way off base. Two groups have been doing happiness studies for quite a few years. One is in Great Britain and the other in Denmark. The surveys are scientific, based on several weighted scales such as income, health, life expectancy, social mobility as well as surveys that ask "How happy are you?". For years the Scandinavian, Central American and small island counties have led the top twenty as the most happy.

[Durrrrrr]

07:40 AM on 02/13/2012

"This article is way off base."

Translation: This article does not support my religious biases. The voice in my head says countries X, Y, and Z are the happiest in the world. And nothing will convince me otherwise.

[RichardVinthagen]

07:51 PM on 02/13/2012

Read consultingpbh excellent comment (four pages from the end). He completely destroy this article with his comment. Somehow I feel that the quality level of HP has been lowered a lot since the take over by AOL. Before I could trust what I read here, but now? Its more value to me to read some of the comments from people that know what they talk about then the article (many times).

[random21]

12:54 AM on 02/13/2012

Why is it so hard to believe that a Mexico or a India can be happier than the other western countries? There are several reasons why the less developed world is happier; 1) less consumerism 2) larger families with shared resources, 3) non proselytizing religions in case of India, (even though Indonesia is a surprise, but I guess, Indonesia is more laid back and was Hindu/Buddhist anyway before converting), 4) because shit happens every other day, people of become sensitized, unlike the west where 5 dead in an accident is big news..and so on.

[emncaity]

06:34 PM on 02/13/2012

Because only _we_ are special. That's why.

[elcastle]

10:18 AM on 02/14/2012

It depends who you ask in Mexico and Indonesia...maybe because they are contained with their fortune...they are kind of happy - because there is no way to change their life...But come on...Mexico is on verge of loosing sanity with their drug cartels and corrupt government..people can't feel secure there..and I would think twice about Indonesia...maybe because simple people are humble and contained, that why they are happy, wealth didn't reach too many people while in US exactly that is the problem wealth reached very small group of people while big amount of citizen live in poverty, need of health help and homeless...so many children live in poverty, so if that is condition for happiness...in that case..