The Happiest Place on Earth

About a year ago I had just returned from a month in Africa when I read a story on the BBC website about a British social psychologist who had created a "world map of happiness." The author had studied the subjective sense of well-being in people all over the world to determine "the happiest place on earth." Countries are rank ordered from highest to lowest.

I had just come from the country at the bottom of the list: Burundi.

And I was just beginning to write a proposal to the Lilly Endowment for my sabbatical, which I was focusing around the theme of joy. So, I took note of this study. And I was especially interested in the fact that the country at the top of the happiness list was... Denmark. I had been to Denmark a couple of times. In fact, I have friends in Denmark. I even have a "Danish brother" -- Michael Balmer (formerly Michael Knudsen) who lived with us for a year as an exchange student when I was in high school. We've stayed in touch these past 38 years and visited in each others' homes from time to time.

So, I thought it would be a great idea to visit Michael and his wife, Aase (pronounced Oh-sa), during my sabbatical, and just see what it was about Denmark that made it "the happiest place on earth."



The BBC article contained some initial analysis of this auspicious designation. "A nation's level of happiness was most closely associated with health levels. Prosperity and education were the next strongest determinants of national happiness." The author suggested that "...there is increasing political interest in using measures of happiness as a national indicator in conjunction with measures of wealth..." suggesting that we might do better to work toward increasing our happiness levels rather than simply our level of wealth, since wealth does not necessarily determine happiness.

Anyway, partly to make a convincing case for my grant proposal, and partly out of sheer self-interest in seeing friends in Denmark, I decided to make the happiest place on earth one of my sabbatical destinations. And I decided to try to pay particular attention to what I was seeing and hearing from people here.

Here are just a few observations:

1) People indeed seem very healthy. Why? Perhaps because they have universal health care. I didn't say free. They pay for it -- with their taxes, not private insurance. And the people I have asked seem very happy with the national health care system. There are things you have to wait for, and some wealthier people supplement their health care coverage with private insurance, too. But everyone has basic health care, and it's very high quality. No one is worried about losing their health insurance. No one has to be concerned about insurability because of a pre-existing condition. Everyone, whether a corporate CEO, government employee, self-employed or unemployed, gets the same health coverage. This takes a lot of the anxiety out of life for the Danes.

2) Education is free -- including university and graduate school. In fact, even high school students, from the time they are eighteen years old, get a monthly stipend from the government for being in school. The stipend amounts to about $1000 a month for university students, meaning they don't have to worry about going into debt for education. If you happen to have children while you're a student, you get an additional allowance, and free child care. Danish society has determined that an educated population is a high priority.

3) There is less inequality in Denmark than in many countries. Some people call this socialism. The Danes don't seem to care what it is called. Relative equality is achieved, at least partially, through taxation. The lowest income tax rate is 30% and the highest is 63%. The average is 47%. No one that I've talked to seems to mind. They all, including those in the top bracket I've spoken to, seem to think they get a pretty good deal for what they pay.

One of the interesting possibilities for the relationship of this equalizing factor to the happiness index could be this: if you know you are going to pay a lot more in taxes if you have a high paying job, there might be a greater incentive to choose your profession not on the basis of how much money you will make, but on the basis of what you really enjoy doing. Now there's a thought! Could it have something to do with overall happiness??? And by the same token, if there is a very strong social safety network, and no one really falls through the cracks even if they have a lower paying job -- and you just happen to like doing something like caring for children -- you don't have a disincentive for doing what you really love to do, and you still make a reasonable living. Speaking of which, the minimum wage in Denmark is roughly $20 an hour. Even the fast food worker or school janitor or day care center worker makes this amount. The minimum wage is actually a living wage -- even after the 30% income tax. Two parents each making minimum wage can support a family of four in relative comfort and security.

Our obsession in the US and many other countries with wealth just might be misplaced -- surprise, surprise. I like the idea of measuring happiness instead of (or in addition to) wealth; and it seems clear to me that the two really are not necessarily linked. I know that from my experience in Denmark, and my experience in Burundi as well. I think Jesus even had something to say about it.

One final observation. When Michael and I were out on a bike ride around town a couple of days ago, he pointed out the home of the wealthiest man in town. Maribo is a town of about 5000 people. It was a nice home, but it was neither enormous nor ostentatious. I think Michael said he's worth about $100 million. Within about 100 yards, he started pointing out to me a neat little row of "poor people's cottages." These are not homes, but little one or two room "vacation houses" with garden plots around them that are available upon request to low income people as a place to get away to, plant a garden, and experience some peace away from the cares of life at home. The idea seemed amazing in itself. But the fact that it was only yards away from the wealthiest person in town was astounding. No "nimby" factor here. Everyone from the poorest Somali immigrant (of which there are quite a few in town) to the folks in the 63% bracket have the chance at living with dignity and security.

I shouldn't make it sound like there are no problems here, social or economic or otherwise. Yes, politicians and citizens still debate the tax code and the level of services that people should get. But I do think there are some broad, general indicators here that the rest of us could learn from as we face the ongoing challenges in the US and the rest of the world.

Oh yes, and you might be interested in where the US stands in this happiness study. Not too bad, actually. Out of 178 countries studied, the USA ranks 23rd. The UK is 41st and Japan is 90th. That one was a surprise to me.

And now, off for another bicycle ride -- on Denmark's flat-as-a-pancake countryside. No grueling northern California hills to climb. Another reason for happiness!!