Costa Rica is the happiest country in the world. That’s according to the findings of the Happy Planet Index (HPI), which ranks the extent to which countries around the globe produce long, happy, sustainable lives for the people that live in them. Unlike other similar studies, the HPI survey comes from the interesting point of view that happiness is most strongly influenced by living long lives and feeling good – within the environmental limits of the planet.
After Costa Rica, the study found Vietnam and Cambodia to be the happiest countries, followed by Belize and El Salvador. In terms of English speaking countries, the US was way down the list in 105th place, the UK at 41st and Australia at 76th.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words – this beautifully-designed infographic showcases the HPI findings – so scroll down and take it all in.
Interested to see where you fit in? Along with delving into your country’s data, you can also calculate your own individual HPI score and compare your results against global averages.
