LONDON: Saudis are the happiest people of all Arabs and rank 26th among the happiest people in the world, according to a study released recently by the World Values Survey, a global network of social scientists based at the University of Michigan.
The yardstick of happiness according to the study was the contentment of a people with their living standard. The participants were asked questions such as if they were very happy, happy or not at all happy, Asharq Al-Awsat reported yesterday. The study ranked the Danes first among the people from 97 countries while Zimbabwe came at the bottom. The United States got 16th position and Guatemala came 17th.
Among the Arab countries that figured in the list, Jordan came 57th, Morocco 68th, Algeria 72nd and Egypt 74th.
While the Danes scored 4.24 points, Saudis got 3.17 points.
Zimbabwe was the glummest country in the world followed by Armenia, Moldavia, Belarus, Ukraine, Albania, Iraq and Bulgaria which were among the last 10. Israel was placed at 45th position, Turkey at 60th and Iran at 64th.
The report also noted that several countries registered improvement in their happiness compared to the past years. They included India, China, Ireland, South Korea and Mexico. On the other hand, Britons, Belgians, Austrians and Germans are no longer as happy as they were in the past.
The study contradicted the notion that people with high per capita income are invariably the happiest in the world.
The survey also exploded the myth that freedom and sense of peace and security are the determining factors in making one happy. It said several Latin American countries such as Colombia, which is plagued by fighting, came at the third place in the list. El Salvador and Guatemala came 11th and 17th respectively. On the other hand, France was placed at 37th position and Italy at 46th.
In spite of corruption and poverty in Nigeria, it tops African countries having placed in the 29th position.
© Arab News 2008
