Happy Nonsense

Is it possible to judge happiness? Almost certainly not, though that hasn't stopped a few people trying.

One bunch of people who try to measure happiness is the New Economics Foundation, who have published a Happy Planet Index that ranks the countries of the world by their 'happiness' quotient. Apparently, the happiest place on the planet is the group of Pacific ocean islands that form Vanuatu. Given that there is no income tax, that may be so. But while the offshore finance industry accounts for some jobs, most of Vanuatu's residents live a life of subsistence farming. Life expectancy is a less than happy 68. So is it the happiest place on earth? I doubt it.

Likewise, quite why drug-torn, crime-worn Colombia ranks as the second happiest place on the planet is also beyond us.

In fact, you have to scroll a long way down the list to find anywhere remotely civilised. Switzerland, long considered the most desirable place to live on the planet ranks a lowly 65th, three places behind India. Albanians can rejoice: at position 92 they make the top 100. Poor old Britain, at 108, does not. As for the USA (life expectancy 77.4), if you keep scrolling down you'll find it at position 152, just behind Lithuania and the paradise that is Burkina Faso (life expectancy 47.5).

Happy nonsense indeed.