A country's income level affects happiness and optimism

Gallup International recently published its 39th happiness study of 69 countries. GI studied happiness, neutrality, and unhappiness to give them a net happiness score. In addition GI studied the levels of hope and optimism across countries. Both hope and happiness were compared with the country’s income levels (Financial, finchannel.com, February 15, 2016). A country's income level affects happiness and optimism.

Countries were classified into three income level groups: (1) Prosperous (the G7), (2) Emerging (the G20 excluding the original G7), and (3) Aspiring (all others). For example, the G7 Prosperous countries are the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan. The Emerging countries are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey and the EU. The Aspiring countries included 49 other countries.

The result is that the net happiness in 2015 for all countries was 56% (66% happy and 10% unhappy for a net happiness score of 56%). This reflects a decrease in net happiness from 70% in 2014. Colombia was the happiest country in 2015 (85% net happiness), followed by Fiji, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, and Vietnam. In 2015 the unhappiest country was Iraq (-12% net happiness) for the second year in a row.

Comparing income levels there was no significant difference in terms of their net happiness. Prosperous countries scored 42% net happiness, Emerging countries scored 59%, and Aspiring countries scored 54%.

In terms of optimism, 54% of respondents in all countries said that 2016 will be better than 2015 (16% said it would be worse, and 24% said it will be the same).

Comparing income levels there was a significant difference in their levels of optimism. Prosperous countries scored 6% (those that said 2016 will be better than 2015), Emerging countries scored 50%, and Aspiring countries scored 29%. Therefore Prosperous nations were least hopeful for a better 2016.

Regionally, in order of net happiness, the results were: East Asia and Oceania (70%), Latin America (63%), Eastern Europe (49%), Sub-Saharan Africa (47%), North America (44%), West & South Asia (42%), Middle East & North Africa (41%), and EU Europe (40%).

GORBI, a partner organization with Gallup International, contributed to the study and prepared an analysis of former Soviet countries. The results showed that Azerbaijan was clearly the happiest country in 2015 of former Soviet countries, but less optimistic about 2016.

The sub-regional results showed the order of net happiness: Azerbaijan (80%), Russia (55%), Ukraine (54%), Armenia (53%), Latvia (49%), and Georgia (48%). Their optimism levels for 2016 were: Russia (54%), Ukraine (48%), Georgia (44%), Azerbaijan (33%), Latvia (25%), and Armenia (21%).

While happiness is a complex state of mind to define, the study is a collective response to hope and happiness, which shows whether a country's income level affects happiness and optimism.

MARTINA NICOLLS is the author of:- The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

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