How can you tell if your country is a happy place? The country’s economical health might be the first factor that comes to one’s mind. As long as the country is making money, increasing its GDP, then it must be the address where happiness lives. Following that logic, US, China and Germany should top the charts of the happiest countries in the world. Well, if one goes by the World Happiness Report, they do not! Apparently, there is more to happiness than mere economical factors. The World Happiness Report is an analysis published by a UN organization named the Sustainable Development Solution Network, a body that is researching how to fight poverty by stocking sustainable development.
We usually associate economy to happiness because it is an indicator that jobs are available, money is circulating the market. But when looking at it a bit closer, economy alone lacks any association with how people really feel about their environment, their governments and their social fabric. There are other variables the researchers believe that contribute to the transformation of any country into a happy one such as life expectancy, social support systems, trust in government and business, perceived freedom, and generosity.
Since the report started to appear in 2012, it has participated in bringing forward the concepts of well- being, happiness and social development to the front line of discussions whenever public policies for any country in the world are discussed. Many politicians and world leaders have started using terminologies of happiness and people well-being in their speeches, and their plans. The report mentions the ruler of Dubai, Shaikh Mohamed Rashed Al-Maktoom, as a shining example of those who have adopted such a mindset in their policymaking. “The case of the UAE is worth special mention in part for the extent to which happiness and well-being have been made central tenets of the design and delivery of the National Agenda (stating that UAE) to be the happiest of all nations,” said the report.
It is a no surprise then that UAE tops all the Arab and Muslim countries in the rank by coming at the 20th position, followed by Oman at 22nd and Qatar at 28th.
“The aspiration of society is the flourishing of its members,” said Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute of Columbia University to Science Daily. “This report gives evidence on how to achieve societal well-being. It’s not by money alone, but also by fairness, honesty, trust, and good health. The evidence here will be useful to all countries as they pursue the new Sustainable Development Goals.”
The top 10 countries on the list are led by Switzerland, followed by Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Canada, Finland, Netherlands, Sweden, New Zealand, and Australia. Saudi Arabia comes at the 35th positions (was 33rd in the second report published in 2013), ahead of countries like Spain (36th), Japan (46th), South Korea (47th), and Italy (50th). On the bottom of the 158 surveyed countries, it is unfortunate to see a number of Arab countries at the bottom; Egypt (135th), Yemen (136th), and Syria (156th).
“As the science of happiness advances, we are getting to the heart of what factors define quality of life for citizens," said John F. Helliwell, of the University of British Columbia and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, and one of the report editors. “We are encouraged that more and more governments around the world are listening and responding with policies that put well-being first. Countries with strong social and institutional capital not only support greater well-being, but are more resilient to social and economic crises.”
Now, the accuracy of the results, data collection methodology, and interpretation of a report of such magnitude can open doors for arguments and scrutiny. However still, there is no harm in using the data published in the report as an indication and a benchmarking tool to measure the government performance and evaluate its public policies.
Here in the Kingdom, the well-being of the citizens has always been at the heart of all government policies. We can all feel and see the rapid change in the functioning of different government agencies. And with a better development in education, health, housing and social services, we can rise in the rankings of happiness and well-being. We have all the resources to do so.
