World's happiest and most prosperous countries.

Bill Randall wrote:

That list really tells me nothing. I have been to very poor - dirt poor - villages and towns and the people were very happy. For three months, around 1958, I lived in a small town in Puerto Rico. Few people had a car or tv, or an expensive home - but they were happy. Even I did not miss a car or TV and I was 18 years old at the time.

I would expect most of the "Happy" nations have few poor because tax money provides poor with enough money and fringe benefits to be happy. In those nations that only provide medical expenses for having children, medical expenses for the family, food for the family, telephones, clothing, education, meals at school, textbooks and school buses - yes, they will be more dissatisfied.