Norway is the happiest of them all, or so says the Legatum Institute.
And what is the Legatum Institute? More about that later.
Norway ranks first in happiness because it has a per capita gross national product of $54,000 a year; because Norwegians have the second-highest level of satisfaction with their standards of living; 95 percent of them believe they have the freedom to choose the direction of their lives and an unparalleled 74 percent say that other people can be trusted. (Think about that last attribute for a moment.)
One hundred and 10 nations were ranked. Joining Norway in the top 10 were Australia, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Canada and the United States — with the U.S. at number 10.
What do happy countries have in common, in addition to far above average wealth?
Well, they are all electoral democracies. People seem to be happier when they feel they have a say in government. They all have abundant civil liberties. There are few restrictions on the flow of capital or of labor. In Denmark, which ranks second on the happiness scale, workers have little job protection but unemployment benefits are generous, so employers can keep the right number of workers and workers can take their time looking for a fulfilling job.
Now, about Legatum. It is a think tank created and funded by billionaire Christopher Chandler in Dubai. Chandler wondered why the people in some nations are happier and more satisfied than others. He hired researchers to find out. They studied 40 years of data and settled on eight key areas they considered to be the main ingredients of prosperity: economy, entrepreneurship, governance, education, health, safety, personal freedom and social capital. They then sought data from 110 countries from researchers such as Gallop, added up the scores and created the Legatum Prosperity Index.
The 110 countries comprise 93 percent of the world’s population and 97 percent of its gross national product.
All but the United States in the top 10 have small, relatively homogenous populations. Only the United States, Canada and Australia have any military capacity to speak of or are significantly involved in U.N. or NATO peace-keeping actions.
All but the United States have universal health care systems.
CRITICS OF LEGATUM’S index complain that Norway may be happy but is dull as dishwater. It is also a godless place where fewer than 13 percent go to church. It has a welfare state bankrolled by high taxes. It pays for its glitter with massive offshore reserves of oil and gas that it exports to the world. If it weren’t for all that oil, the critics sneer, Norway wouldn’t be a happy place at all.
On the other hand, Norway has an interesting set of priorities. The way it uses its energy wealth is instructive. First, it sets aside a chunk of the income every year to create a massive reserve that will keep Norwegians happy when the oil and gas run out, as they wisely know it will. Second, they have, indeed, created “a massive welfare state” that is paid for through high taxes.
They use the money to maintain an excellent educational system, provide health care for all, build highways, encourage tourism and support an outstanding cultural arts program. Their military amounts to fewer than 16,000 troops.
Norwegians think they are doing it about right, thank you very much.
