Denmark is the Happiest Place in the World. Why?

A study that tried to determine the happiest country in the world, which can be somewhat subjective in some ways, found Denmark was the happiest place in the world.
See: travel.yahoo.com... for the full article.

I looked into Denmark to see what they are doing right. One thing I especially noticed about the happiest place in the world found at:
en.wikipedia.org... reads as follows:

At first I was surprised to find that the country is technically a monarchy. Wikipedia says:

It is stipulated in the Danish Constitution, the monarch is not answerable for their actions, and their person is sacrosanct. The monarch formally appoints and dismisses the prime minister and other ministers. The prime minister is customarily chosen through negotiation between the parliament party leaders.

Sounds tyrannical, but upon further reading I found that is not the case.

Denmark's mixed economy features above average European living standards and high amount of free trade. Denmark ranks 16th in the world in terms of GDP (PPP) per capita and ranks 5th in nominal GDP per capita.

According to World Bank Group, Denmark has the most flexible labour market in Europe; the policy is called flexicurity. It is easy to hire, fire, and find a job. Denmark has a labour force of about 2.9 million. Denmark has the fourth highest ratio of tertiary degree holders in the world.[61] GDP per hour worked was the 10th highest in 2007. Denmark has the world's lowest level of income inequality, according to the UN, and the world's highest minimum wage, according to the IMF. As of June 2009 the unemployment rate is at 6.3%, which is below the EU average of 8.9%.[62]

Denmark is one of the most competitive economies in the world according to World Economic Forum 2008 report, IMD, and The Economist.[63] According to rankings by OECD, Denmark has the most free financial markets in EU-15 and also one of the most free product markets.

Free markets are a big part of capitalism. What is making Denmark happy more than anything else by my measure is their higher level of capitalism.

The thing to notice most about the top ten economically free countries found at:
www.heritage.org... is that these countries have completely eliminated death by starvation resulting from poverty. So, the people on ATS who complain about capitalism increasing poverty should take a close look at the facts of the situation, which show capitalism reduces poverty.

Sadly, the US and Denmark are no longer considered to be free countries by the survey due to declining capitalism levels. We can expect their economies will become worse over time and their level of poverty will go up. Tragically, the US lost its status as a free country this year by the objective measures the index has set. Its no surprise that the poverty rate is soaring as a result.

I wouldn't say that capitalism is the answer to the worlds problems, but I'd say that capitalism is the answer to a whole bunch of the worlds problems, including poverty. Sadly, the world may actually move away from capitalism even faster than it has in the past and that will be a dark time for the world if that is the case. I'll do what little I can to stop that from happening, like giving people the facts.

Capitalism is failing? No. Capitalism is disappearing and has been disappearing for some time.

When you say "capitalism", do you mean "money-motivated" or do you mean "freedom-motivated"? The freedom to make a living without undue difficulty is the road to happiness. This is how it is done in Denmark. I don't know anymore about the States, I haven't even been there in 15 years. I have spent quite a good amount of time in Denmark though and I can tell you that they are genuinely happy people.

I live not far away, in Finland. It is exactly the opposite of Denmark here. =(

Wait, what?

www.youtube.com...

www.youtube.com...

[edit on 19-7-2010 by TheOneElectric]

[edit on 19-7-2010 by TheOneElectric]

I think the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia have a lot to learn from Europe, particularly places like Denmark.

I dare say if we here in Australia followed Europe's lead rather than the U.S. and U.K. we would be the clear winner in happiest people and best place to live.

whats that mean that the US lost its "status" as a free country? what is the US then?

and I'd love to live in Denmark!

Of course, there is also this side to danish happiness:

Denmark has a company tax rate of 25% and a special time limited tax regime for expatriates.[64] The Danish taxation system is both broad based (25% VAT, not including excise, duty and tax) and has the world's highest income tax.

en.wikipedia.org...

They sure do a lot of things right, but they definitely also like to redistribute stuff!

You have forgotten something important: military spending.

You may recall that we liberated them from the Nazis.

It is costing us a lot to defend the world from upstart tyrants, thereby defending ourselves.

Their Bacon is TOO salty and their Cheese is all Processed and rubbish......... and their football team was beaten by Japan, easily....

end of , case closed....

Regards

PurpleDOG UK.

Lets see, Denmark is the "happiest" place because they have/they had:

- access to relatively limitless resources

- an insane brainwash campaign going on

- colonies, contracts and corporations.

They also have a royal house which seems to fulfill no goal, meaning they are connected to most, if not all royal houses across, at the very least, Europe. That should add some available information that might otherwise be too sensitive for a sovereign nation.

Happiest place on Earth? Relatively it is a happy place because there is food, water and housing. Ow, and trees and flowers. I hear they have a land made out of lego as well, how happy the young ones must be.

Propaganda

en.wikipedia.org...

Seems like the Denmark people have lived under a very socialistesque system for a while now.

Denmark is a nice example that in a country with free markets and liberal mindset, flexible laws without much bureaucracy, and highly educated people, even quite massive redistribution of wealth is not a big burden on economy. They can afford it.

Some things in this stats makes absolute no sense.

My Country - Switzerland is on Place 2 of the happiest Countrys. But we have also the 2nd most suicide rate on this planet. How can this fit together?

My hypothesis. We have a lot rich people, that say they feel save. But in real we have a very much people that are poor. I am poor as long as i can think, and i am a PC technician. So what is wrong with our country?

THE BANKS!

In Denmark the tax on private individuals is just shy of 50%

For this everyone has free admittance to hospitals.

Denmark actually pays young students money to get an education(one of the few places that does this)

...and many other things.


Zamini, could/would you elaborate on the brainwash campaign, I'd like to hear your perspective?

reply to post by PurpleDog UK


Oh no you didn't just bring up football as a defense coming from the UK now did you? That would be the pot calling the kettle black.


As to the topic at hand: I believe that the reason there is little inequality in pay rate is due to the high taxation. It is very difficult to become very very rich under this scheme. The fact remains that 99% of us will never be rich anyway so why not legislate on that premise?

reply to post by cushycrux


You guys don't get enough sunlight.

Sunlight is required by the body to synthesise vitamin D and low levels of D have been strongly linked to depression.

Look up S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder). This is why Nordic countries experience the highest rate of suicide in the world.

Some things in this stats makes absolute no sense.
My Country - Switzerland is on Place 2 of the happiest Countrys. But we have also the 2nd most suicide rate on this planet. How can this fit together?

Gruezi!

Switzerland has issues with SAD as the poster above explained.

Switzerland is a very unique country, and I can attest having lived there and being Swiss that there are many reasons to be happy. Tes, poverty ( relative of course) exsists, the difference however is that the line beween the poor and rich is not as clear as in the US and UK ( two countries where I have spent most of my life). In Switzerland, the CEO and the janitor ride the same bus to work.

Additonally, in Swizterland, and I suspect in the other countries in the list, there is a very generous safety net. There is ABSOLUTELY no homlessness in Switzerland which isn't voluntary. All Swiss citizens are eligable for assitance with housing.

Despite all the wonderful things about Switzerland however, I choose not to live there. I did try for awhile. I'm so Americanized that all that cleanliness, happiness and prosperity was totally alien to me.

I now live in the UK, with it's warts and all.

reply to post by OZtracized


He was talking about Switzerland, it is not a nordic country.

en.wikipedia.org...

[edit on 19-7-2010 by Maslo]

reply to post by truthquest


There is another angle on Denmark, courtesy of the late Philip Jones, who described the country as 'Brave New Denmark'. A model for the NWO perhaps? Article here

reply to post by Maslo


Not it isn't but the Swiss are also effected by this disorder.

No one can take statistics for granted, and at the moment We are facing a severe economic bubble burst, and it has been stated that all people who gets some kind of money from the state will not rise together with the inflation for the next 2 years.

That said We have a high percentage of Danish people who are so right winged that it seems they forgot We were occupied by Germany during WWII. I am my self a socialist and have always voted on the most humane party, but i see the "fear" around our society about the immigrants and its getting really dirty in my opinion.

Our unemployment is skyhigh at the moment, because a lot of our big companies has diverted their production line to cheap chiniese labour. Our educational system are failing hard especially the last 10 years after our government decided to take out all group oriented exams, and instead let the Ego individual rule.

This has come to a really big number of people being laid off.

The Flexicurity is actually here because our Unions have fought for it through 20 years, and is not the work of our government, they simply copied it from the Union and nothing more. Also We care alot Unions, though the last couple of years we have seen numbers dropping of the members to it, but then again with the economic situation now, more and more people are becomming members of the Unions again because getting fired from a job can end in you and your family have to move, since their economy is so tight.

Best regards

Loke.:.

[edit on 19-7-2010 by Loke.]

[edit on 19-7-2010 by Loke.]