Norway tops the global happiness rankings this year, followed closely by Denmark, Iceland and Switzerland / Alvov/SHUTTERSTOCK
Social support is key to happiness, and the World Happiness Report 2017, released by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network in late March, shows just how important those foundations can be in shaping the overall happiness of a country.
Norway tops the global happiness rankings this year, moving up from 4th place in 2016, followed closely by Denmark, Iceland and Switzerland. All of the top-four ranked countries score highly on the factors found to support happiness: caring, freedom, generosity, honesty, health, income and good governance.
But the report points out that about half of the differences in rankings can be explained by things like having someone to count on, generosity, a sense of freedom and freedom from corruption – all key to strong social foundations. The other half is attributed to GDP per capita and healthy life expectancy – both of which also depend on the social context.
“The Scandinavian countries are very big on social support,” Dr Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, one of the study’s associate editors and a speaker at the 2016 Global Wellness Summit, told Time magazine. “The top countries, you can see, have societies which are not at each other’s throats. But they also have high GDP per capita.”
The US dropped one point this year to number 14, despite increases in income and healthy life expectancy. But the four social rankings – generosity, social support, trustworthy governance and freedom – all dropped, suggesting that American happiness is dwindling primarily due to social causes rather than economic ones.
Mental health is also extremely important to happiness, the report finds. In Western societies, diagnosed mental illness has more of an effect on happiness than income, employment or physical illness. In every country, physical health is also important, yet in no country is it more important than mental health. In all countries, the most powerful effect would come from eliminating depression and anxiety, which are the biggest forms of mental illness.
The report also found that people in China are no happier than they were 25 years ago, and that much of Africa is struggling when it comes to happiness.
The first World Happiness Report was published in 2012. Since then, happiness is increasingly seen as a measure of social progress and a goal of public policy.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2017 issue 2
Wellness communities: Europe
Part 2 of our series explores some of
the most exciting European wellness
communities in development
Promotional feature: Babor
CEO Michael Schummert explains how the
company’s expertise in results-driven treatments makes its precision
‘Made in Germany’ products more relevant than ever before
Norway tops the global happiness rankings this year, followed closely by Denmark, Iceland and Switzerland / Alvov/SHUTTERSTOCK
Social support is key to happiness, and the World Happiness Report 2017, released by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network in late March, shows just how important those foundations can be in shaping the overall happiness of a country.
Norway tops the global happiness rankings this year, moving up from 4th place in 2016, followed closely by Denmark, Iceland and Switzerland. All of the top-four ranked countries score highly on the factors found to support happiness: caring, freedom, generosity, honesty, health, income and good governance.
But the report points out that about half of the differences in rankings can be explained by things like having someone to count on, generosity, a sense of freedom and freedom from corruption – all key to strong social foundations. The other half is attributed to GDP per capita and healthy life expectancy – both of which also depend on the social context.
“The Scandinavian countries are very big on social support,” Dr Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, one of the study’s associate editors and a speaker at the 2016 Global Wellness Summit, told Time magazine. “The top countries, you can see, have societies which are not at each other’s throats. But they also have high GDP per capita.”
The US dropped one point this year to number 14, despite increases in income and healthy life expectancy. But the four social rankings – generosity, social support, trustworthy governance and freedom – all dropped, suggesting that American happiness is dwindling primarily due to social causes rather than economic ones.
Mental health is also extremely important to happiness, the report finds. In Western societies, diagnosed mental illness has more of an effect on happiness than income, employment or physical illness. In every country, physical health is also important, yet in no country is it more important than mental health. In all countries, the most powerful effect would come from eliminating depression and anxiety, which are the biggest forms of mental illness.
The report also found that people in China are no happier than they were 25 years ago, and that much of Africa is struggling when it comes to happiness.
The first World Happiness Report was published in 2012. Since then, happiness is increasingly seen as a measure of social progress and a goal of public policy.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2017 issue 2
Wellness communities: Europe
Part 2 of our series explores some of
the most exciting European wellness
communities in development
Promotional feature: Babor
CEO Michael Schummert explains how the
company’s expertise in results-driven treatments makes its precision
‘Made in Germany’ products more relevant than ever before
London Museum will open four new food and drink destinations when it launches its new home
at Smithfield on 28 November, making hospitality a central part of the visitor experience at one
of the capital's biggest cultural openings of the year.
OMA has completed a major transformation of New York's New Museum, creating a larger
cultural campus that combines expanded exhibition spaces with learning, performance,
hospitality and public programming.
A US$50 million (£44.2 million, €51.2 million) transformation of Chicago's historic McCormick
Mansion has created a new destination that combines live magic, immersive theatre, dining and
private membership under one roof.
The Montana Historical Society has officially celebrated the opening of its new Montana
Heritage
Center, a US$107 million (£79 million, €92 million) destination that combines immersive
storytelling with cutting-edge audiovisual technology to bring the sta
San Antonio Zoo has reported a US$283 million economic impact for 2025, following a decade-
long transformation programme that has seen almost US$200 million invested into the Texas
attraction.
Plans for the AU$180 million redevelopment of Reef HQ Aquarium in Townsville, Australia, are
progressing, with the project set to transform the attraction into a global centre for reef
education and conservation.
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed
€1 billion
offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the
continental European Center Parcs business.
Disney has reaffirmed its commitment to investing US$30 billion in its US parks and cruise
business by 2033, using new America250 celebrations to underline the role its attractions play
in supporting jobs, tourism and economic growth.
Expo 2030 Riyadh is being planned as a permanent visitor destination, with organisers
confirming the six-million-square-metre site will become a Global Village after the event closes.
The owner of one of Australia's best-known waterparks has acquired a major competitor,
creating a new attractions business spanning two of the country's largest visitor destinations.
