Costa Rica Tops It to the Happiest Countries in the World

Costa Rica is now the No. 1 among the happiest countries in the world, leading a list of 151 presented by the New Economics Foundation. The list includes 6 other Latin American countries (Colombia, El Salvador, Panama, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Guatemala). This “Happy Planet Index” or HPI 2012 Report uses three main criteria, namely life expectancy, environmental sustainability, and of course, happiness. The HPI also considers “the potential for good lives in the future.”

The 10 happiest countries in the world according to the HPI

(with 1 being the highest)
10  Guatemala
9  Venezuela
8  Nicaragua
7  Panama
6  Jamaica
5  El Salvador
4  Belize
3  Colombia
2  Vietnam
1  Costa Rica

In these countries, the citizens have money to spend for their basic needs, have some extra cash in their pocket to enjoy themselves at their leisure, and have considerably low carbon footprints. The makers of this list did not base happiness on gross domestic product or GDP. Evidently, Costa Rica does not have the highest GDP in the world. What this list suggests is that wealth does not guarantee happiness.

GDP does not mean happiness

Where’s the United States, which holds the title for the highest GDP in the world, and the other developed countries? Evidently, if your ecological footprint is tainted in carbon dioxide and fossil fuels you cannot be considered to the top happiest countries. The United Kingdom, at #41 is apparently more environment-friendly and sustainable than the United States (#105).

Another happy list

Another list made by another group, the Legatum Institute, has ranked Norway as their number one, for three years in a row. Their effort in making this particular list that describes a person’s level of prosperity is described as a closer look at “global wealth and well being.” The goal of this organization is to examine the characteristics of a happy country so that developing countries would have an idea on the direction that they would take.

Norway has been dominating this list because its citizens are satisfied with their way of life, choose their own way based on the civil liberties that they are allowed, they vote for people they like, and they have adequate opportunities for personal and professional growth. And most of the citizens say that they trust their fellow Norwegians. This list uses GDP as one main criterion in this list of the most prosperous.

The 10 most prosperous countries in the world

(with 1 being the highest)
10  Ireland
9  Switzerland
8  The Netherlands
7  Finland
6  Canada
5  New Zealand
4  Australia
3  Sweden
2  Denmark
1  Norway

In both lists, the most prosperous, oil rich countries can be found further down. Apparently, it is also not enough to be rich in resources to be happy. After all, many define happiness as being able to speak one’s mind freely.

Happiness is

The two lists do not agree, and no country made it to both lists. But, why should they? One measures happiness, while the other measures prosperity, and in no dictionary are those two words synonymous to each other. These are two different things and must never be confused or interchanged. Costa Rica could definitely learn a lot from Norway in order to achieve greater prosperity. But Norway ought to see what’s making the Costa Ricans happy lately.