Last week, I published a post ( The Happy Society) about the happiest countries in the world in 2016 as per a U.N poll. The top 5 countries in that poll were ( in order) Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Finland. Well, the 2017 poll results are out and it is not surprising that the same countries are at the top. The 2017 poll toppers are : Switzerland, Iceland, Denmark, Norway and Canada. The first four were in the top four spots last year, though the order was different, and Finland which was in fifth place is till in the Top 10 this year.
At the bottom of the list: Togo, a small West African country beset by lawlessness, large scale ivory poaching and corruption. Only slightly better than it are Burundi, Syria, Benin, and Rwanda, all of which suffer from civil war/genocide, power struggles, poverty and corruption.
To get back to the Swiss:Why are they so happy? One article gives 19 reasons, several of which seem to be facetious: the scenery, Swiss chocolate, Swiss cheese, coolest sportsman ( Roger Federer), high IQ ( most Nobel laureates/ capita) and trains that run on time. Others make more sense: Neutrality ( no fear of wars or invasion), true democracy ( even ordinary citizens can propose changes to the constitution; cantons have great autonomy), livable cities and multilingualism ( perhaps it instills a world view).However, the reason that stands out most ( to me) is universal healthcare which has resulted in one of the lowest obesity rates in the world and a sense of security. It is noteworthy that this is a feature of all the top countries on that list. Of all developed countries, the United States is the only one that does not have a single payer system that guarantees its citizens affordable healthcare.
Last year, the United States was 13th on the list; this year it has fallen one place to 14th. Among the reasons cited by poll respondents: rising income inequality, a drop in social support systems and a rise in mortality rates. How I wish our politicians ( Republicans and Democrats) would open their eyes as to what is happening ! Unfortunately, our new administration seems to have a blinkered view and its initiatives bid fair to make the situation worse instead of better. How far will the U.S fall in the 2018 poll? We’ll have to wait and see.
P.S It’s not that I like everything about Switzerland. For one thing the Swiss seem to live under a very restrictive set of rules. I was amused to learn that in Switzerland there is an ” approved” list of baby names, and that it is illegal to flush toilets after ten pm.
Ten pm – c’mon!
Golden Ripples 