The Happiest Places In The World

Human beings are in a constant pursuit of happiness. Happiness is a state of mind and varies from one person to another. Personal happiness depends upon many factors like general health, career growth, freedom of expression, and so on. Communal happiness is an index which is measured to judge the overall development of a place or a nation. The general well-being of the citizens and environmental balance maintain the overall happiness of a place.

The phrase Gross National Happiness (GNH) was coined in 1972 by Bhutanese King Jigme SingyeWangchuk. It is an index to measure the collective happiness of a nation. This concept has been accepted by many nations and the UN General Assembly had accepted it as its global development agenda in 2011.  The four main points of GNH are sustainable development, preservation and promotion of cultural values, conservation of the natural environment and establishment of good governance.

There are many factors that make a country or a place happy. The GDP per capita, life expectancy of the people, the freedom to make personal choices, overall kindness, and social support contribute to the general happiness of the people.

Denmark

This tiny Scandinavian country is the happiest country in the world. The average life satisfaction level here is 7.69 out of 10. Gender equality is one of the key factors of this communal happiness. The government supports the families and children, and mothers get free health care. They have very high levels of social fairness. The capital Copenhagen is one of the most preferred food destinations in the world. The city offers an excellent quality of life for all.

Switzerland

Switzerland is one of the happiest countries in the world. The citizens have very low levels of stress and are satisfied with their lives. Swiss government offers the best healthcare for its citizens. The country is financially strong and has one of the highest per capita income levels in the world. This European nation encourages innovation and gives enough opportunities for people and businesses to grow.

Canada

Canada is one of the most prosperous nations in North America. The people are generally peace loving and tolerant. Canadians have a good life expectancy and freedom of choice and expression. They believe in strong bonding with family, friends, and co-workers.

Costa Rica

Costa Rica is rich in nature and the citizens are generally happy. The country is lush green and the people like to conserve the healthy environment. They have no army and the government money is spent on education and healthcare. They have a high life-expectancy of 78.5 years on average. Costa Ricans preserve their wildlife and greenery and tree plantation programs are quite common there.

Bhutan

Bhutan is the only Buddhist kingdom in the world and is the happiest nation in Asia. This tiny country surrounded by the Himalayas is incredibly green. 50% of the total area of the country is preserved for wildlife. The King helps maintain the perfect balance between globalization and age-old traditions of the country. They do not encourage development at the cost of damage to the environment.

Money is not the only deciding factor in measuring happiness. The generosity and well-being of the people matter the most. Good weather and natural environment, perfect work-life balance, affordable healthcare enable the people to live a rewarding life which in turn increases the GNH of a nation.