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Parent Category: Upper-Intermediate News Lessons

Category: Culture Lessons

Written by Chris Cotter

The World Happiness Report measures happiness in countries around the world, and is based on six key criteria. These include GDP per capital, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life decisions, generosity, and the level of corruption people believe exists.

In general, Scandinavian countries were at the top of the report because of their strong economies, established social support systems for their citizens, and trustworthy governments. The countries which fell just below the top positions had somewhat weaker economies, poorer support networks, or both. Most sub-Saharan countries in Africa found themselves at the bottom of the happiness scale, as also were war-torn countries.

The questionnaire was based on the Cantril Scale. Respondents imagined a ladder with steps numbered from zero at the bottom to ten at the top. The top of the ladder represented an ideal life, and the bottom of the ladder represented the worst possible life. People who answered the questions had to imagine on which step of the ladder they currently stood.

An important discovery revealed that countries with high levels of trust better handled the most recent economic crisis. Countries without much trust didn't do as well, and some countries continue to struggle economically.

The report demonstrates that happiness must be viewed as an accepted measure of social progress and the goal of various public policies. As a result, more governments have begun to use this information when crafting new policies which enable their citizens to live better lives.