How to Change the World: The World Map of Happiness

Eh? Having worked in/spent a lot of time in many of those counturies - in both a professional and personal context - i very much beg to differ! As ever, there are "lies, damn lies and statistics" ...
how can one apply binary metrics to subjective happiness? This listing clearly reflects the oxymoron therein. Nonsense.

See some comments adjacent to each relevant country where I think a comment is warranted; apologies to the academic who earnestly produced this list(!).

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The World Map of Happiness

Adrian G. White, a psychologist at the University of Leicester, produced a “world map of happiness.” The study reflects data from UNESCO, the CIA, the New Economics Foundation, the WHO, the Veenhoven Database, the Latinbarometer, the Afrobarometer, and the UNHDR.

The twenty happiest countries are:

Denmark A jolly lot in general, yes, but with a maudlin side also.
Switzerland No way - fine people but 'happy'?
Austria Ditto.
Iceland
The Bahamas
Finland See Denmark.
Sweden See Austria.
Bhutan
Brunei
Canada Maybe.
Ireland Maybe.
Luxembourg Nope.
Costa Rica
Malta Yes.
The Netherlands Yes.
Antigua and Barbuda
Malaysia
New Zealand
Norway See Denmark.
The Seychelles

Other rankings: USA (23), France (62), China (82) Japan (90), India (125). Fortunately, I am married to a Danish woman.


How to Change the World: The World Map of Happiness