The World Happiness Index is out now – you did realise that yesterday was World Happiness Day? – and as ever it turns out that the Nordic countries are ahead of the herd. Finland is top, followed by Denmark, then Iceland, Sweden, Netherlands and Norway, with Costa Rica somehow smuggling itself into sixth place. Costa Rica? But that’s almost the opposite of a Nordic country, so what’s going on there? (Turns out it’s the strength of family bonds.) Britain and the US are 23rd and 24th.
First off, I don’t believe the findings. I do not think that a country where so many people kill themselves – Finland’s rate is still higher than the European average – is actually happy. Plus there’s the price of drink in Nordic countries, which doesn’t prevent impressive levels of alcoholism, would personally count it out for me. And then there’s the problem which only outsiders notice, that the Nords don’t talk; not really. You can go for ages in Sweden without any of the natives breaking the silence; I would not only not be happy in a place without conversation, I would probably have an aneurysm. They do have an interesting indigenous diet and I bet the tribe that herds reindeer is contented, but the home of the Moomintrolls would not do it for me in the long run.
