Day 4: Happyconomics

The three happiest countries are 1: Finland 2: Denmark 3: Switzerland.

The three least happy countries are 1: Afghanistan 2: South Sudan 3: Zimbabwe.

The UK places 13th. To me this is surprising, as I personally hear a lot about many problems in the UK on the news, and I see reports of many people struggling. I also didn’t expect the UK to be above countries like Germany and Singapore, which are usually glorified here for their economic success and forward actions. I might be surprised because the news discusses more about the negatives than the positives as that is what gets them more traction.

Measuring happiness is definitely important. If a country’s workers are happier, they will be more productive in the workplace and this will benefit the economy. If one doesn’t believe in the system and detests it, they are more likely to be sad and unproductive at work, which is detrimental for the economy. Also, a country is in its people, so if they are not happy, it is an indicator that the government is doing something wrong and action is needed, otherwise instability will be created which could lead to revolt if it gets really bad. Happiness is the life-long goal for most people, and a country should value its people’s happiness above anything else.

The report itself can be useful as a means of evolution and competition. If one country is lower than they would like be, they could look at the higher countries and see what they are doing right. They can then spot similarities between the happiest countries and replicate them, hopefully increasing happiness in their own country. Also, a country might be patriotic or embarrassed that the people are not very happy, so the government will do what they can to impress their people, climb up the ranks to gain a name for themselves and maybe gain popularity in the next election. These incentives can convince a government to take swift action. Lastly, the happiness report shows the countries who are not happy at all, and this signifies to global organisations like the UN and to many countries that something needs to be done there. It could be helping the economy to stop poverty and starvation, or it can be doing something to stop a war, like in Yemen, which is hurting many people.