Examentrainers

Denmark is the world’s happiest country – official

By Jerome Taylor

		For those who think a tropical
		island paradise or a Beverly Hills
		mansion is the ultimate key to
		contentment, think again. The
5		happiest place in the world is,
		according to sociologists, far closer
		to home.
		In a new study aimed at
		charting each country’s levels of
10		happiness, Denmark has scored top
		marks, followed closely by
		Switzerland, Austria and Ireland.
		Britain came 41st, 18 places behind
		the United States.
15		The study, conducted by the
		University of Leicester, compiled
		data from 178 countries and 100
		global studies to map happiness
		across the world and found that				However the report did[id:56919].
20		countries with good access to				The tiny Himalayan nation of
		healthcare and education came out				Bhutan, ruled by an authoritarian
		on top.				monarch, unexpectedly came
		The report’s author, Adrian		45		eighth, while well-off nations such
		White, said the results showed that				as Japan and France languished at
25		people in the West should realise				90th and 62nd respectively.
		how lucky they were. “The current				Benjamin Holst, a Danish
		obsession in the West about how				journalist, said that Denmark’s
		unhappy we are really needs a		50		high suicide rate – the second
		reality check,” he said. “I think one				worst in Europe – and a recent rise
30		of the most destructive myths is				in xenophobia¹ should make
		that people in intense poverty are				people question just how content
		actually happy. Because if you				Danes were.
		believe that, why should you do		55		“I’m not sure about these
		anything?”				studies and I really wonder about
35		Most of Africa and the former				the suicide rates in Denmark,” he
		Soviet republics scored worst.				said. “I mean is it that we’re so
		Burundi, Zimbabwe and the				happy we kill ourselves? I really
		Democratic Republic of Congo		60		wonder about that.”
		were the world’s least happy
40		places.
						On top of the world 1 Denmark 6 Finland 2 Switzerland 7 Sweden 3 Austria 8 Bhutan 4 Ireland 9 Brunei 5 Bahamas 10 Canada

noot 1 xenophobia: angst voor vreemdelingen