No 1
Australia is the happiest place to live.
The country has retained top spot in the Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development's annual
Better Life Index.
The OECD ranks the world's developed economies according to 11 different
criteria it views as essential to a happy life.
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Australians enjoy low pollution and high levels of personal security. They
rank top in civic engagement, and above average in health, housing, social
connections, and income.
The downside? Australians find it difficult to strike a balance between work
and life. They work some of the longest hours in the developed world, and
devote the least time to leisure and personal care, the OECD said.
No 2
Sweden has overtaken Norway to claim second place in the ranking. The
Scandinavian country ranks top for quality of the environment, and above
average in work-life balance, life satisfaction, health, and education.
The OECD has been searching for the key to happiness and well-being for
nearly 15 years. A lead researcher with the organization, Romina Boarini, said
the Better Life Index takes account of some traditional measures -- such as
income and employment -- but tries to get to the heart of what makes people
happy by including other factors.
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Swedes enjoy high household income and good job security. Sweden's worst
indicator is personal safety. The report said 5.1% of people reported falling
victim to assault over the previous 12 months, above the OECD average of 3.9%.
No 3
Norway slipped one spot to third place compared to last year, but still
ranks above average in most criteria.
It is one of the leaders in well-being, which the researchers measure by
looking at the more subjective indicators, such as life satisfaction and
equality.
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The OECD's Boarini said these "intangible" criteria are important
to people's overall happiness.
No 4
Switzerland ranks fourth overall, and near the top for jobs, health, and
life satisfaction.
It has the second highest household income in the index, after the United
States.
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"Money, while it cannot buy happiness, is an important means to
achieving higher living standards," the report said.
The Better Life Index compares 36 countries based on 11 topics and dozens of
criteria.
No 5
Denmark, fifth in the ranking, has the best record for work-life balance and
happiness.
Danes are more satisfied with their lives than the OECD average, rating
their general satisfaction with life at 7.5 out of 10 points, compared to the
average of 6.6 points.
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The index also lets people assign their own weightings to the criteria, and
see how that would affect the rankings.
No 6
Canada, the sixth happiest country, is ranked above average
in most criteria.
No 7
The U.S. comes top in income and housing, ranking seventh overall.
It is, however, only average in education, environment, safety, and
work-like balance.
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Even then, Americans tend to be more satisfied with life compared to people
in other OECD countries, the research showed.
No 8
New Zealanders are the healthiest people in the developed world -- 90% of
people in New Zealand said they were in good health.
Life expectancy stands at 82 years in New Zealand, two years above the OECD
average.
No 9
Iceland, ranked ninth in the index, enjoys a very high employment rate, good
income levels and above average job security.
Boarini said that people tend to rank education, healthcare and life
satisfaction as more important measures than incomes or jobs.
No 10
Finland is the 10th happiest developed country.
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It ranks top in education and skills, which are among the criteria highlighted
as the most important to overall well-being by the Better Life Index.
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