Global Happiness Report

Global respondents appear to be generally happy – 75% very happy (20%) or somewhat happy (55%) – according to a new poll by global research company Ipsos. This general happiness is contrasted by four in ten (37%) who assess the economy in their country to be good – 5% very good, 32% somewhat good. Even despite this gloomy outlook, seven in ten (70%) of those who assess the economy in their country to be bad also report they are happy.

These findings reflect data gathered as part of the new Global Trends Survey, a study that aims to build a more comprehensive picture of what matters to people globally. The survey has hundreds of questions covering a diverse range of subjects including perceptions of government, our deeper values, views of some of the key challenges facing the world and measures of a wide range of behaviours. Reports on these findings will be released in detail throughout 2014.

Who are the Happiest People?

To determine who might be the ‘happiest people’, special attention is paid to those who report they are ‘very happy.’ The proportion of those who indicate they are ‘very happy’ – rather than only ‘somewhat happy’ – represents a key measure that identifies comparative depth and intensity of happiness among country citizens and the world.

Two in ten (20%) indicate they are very happy, down two points from the same time one year ago (22%). Young people appear happiest on a global aggregate level, as those who are under the age of 35 (24%) are more likely to say they are ‘very happy’ than those who are 35-49 (18%) and 50-64 (16%) across all countries surveyed. Furthermore, socio-economics play a role as those with a high education (24%) and those with a high household income (22%) are among those most likely to be ‘very happy’. Married people (23%) are more likely to be ‘very happy’ than those who are unmarried and there is no statistical difference in happiness across gender (20%).

Regionally, Latin America has the greatest proportion of people saying they are ‘very happy’, with one third (31%) of their population responding this way. North America is next with 25% followed by the Middle East and Africa (23%), Asia Pacific (22%) and Europe (13%).

Nationally, Indonesia scores the happiest out of the 24 countries surveyed with over half (55%) of citizens reporting they are ‘very happy’ followed by India (41%), Mexico (38%), Brazil (33%), South Africa (26%), United States (26%) and Canada (24%). On the other end, South Korea (6%), Hungary (8%), Italy (9%) and China (10%) have the lowest number of ‘very happy’ people, followed by France (11%), Germany (11%) and Russia (11%).

Happiness Despite Economic Gloom

Global happiness overall, with 75% saying they are at least somewhat happy, reflect three quarters of the global aggregate while only 37% who assess the economy in their country to be good – 5% very good, 32% somewhat good. Indeed, seven in ten (70%) of those in 19 countries who assess their national economy to be bad still report they are happy.

Still, economic confidence correlates positively to happiness overall. The gaps between the happiness levels of those who rate their national economies to be good versus those who rate it to be bad is substantial. Globally, the gap is 19 points as 89% of those who say the economy is good also say they are happy while 70% of those who say the economy is bad say they are happy. The gap is largest in Spain (37 points), Germany (27pts), South Korea (27pts), Great Britain (25pts) and Poland (22pts). It is smallest in South Africa (10pts), Brazil (11pts), Canada (15pts), Russia (15pts), France (15pts) and the United States (16pts).

These are findings of the research conducted by global research company Ipsos. The research was conducted on the “G@52”wave between December 4-18, 2013. For the happiness and economic crosstabulations, data from the “G@49” wave, fielded between September 3-17, 2013, was used. The monthly Global @dvisor data output is derived from a balanced online sample in 24 countries around the world via the Ipsos Online Panel system.