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M O S T C E N S O R E D - - - - People Are Happiest with Family, Friends; But Money, Job Satisfaction Most Important In Determining How Happy People Are: Maybe Money Does Buy Happiness, After All - - - - NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 15, 1999-- Searching for the secret to happiness? You'll find it in the USA, Denmark and Australia, which rank as the world's "happiest" countries, a new study shows. Saying they are "very happy" about their overall quality of life, citizens of the USA (46%), Australia (47%) and Denmark (49%) rank at the top of the "global happiness barometer," a survey of 22,500 adults ages 18+ years in 22 countries. The study was conducted by Roper Starch Worldwide, a global marketing research and consulting firm. Most unhappy with their overall quality life are peoples from the former Soviet Union-specifically, Russia (67%) and the Ukraine (54%). Globally, 24% say they are "very happy" with their overall quality of life, while another 54% are "satisfied" with their quality of life. Meanwhile, 13% are "disappointed," and another 4% are "very unhappy." 5% have no real feelings or don't know how they feel about the quality of their lives. "There is a tremendous 'happiness gap' among the peoples of the world today," observes Tom Miller, group senior vice president of Roper Starch Worldwide and director of the global happiness barometer. "Some people, like the Americans and the Danes, seem positively ecstatic about most of the important things in their lives, whether it be their relationships with family and friends, the money they have, or their own self-confidence. But for others, like the Russians, almost nothing seems to be going right." The Top 10 'Happiest' Countries (% Very Happy) 1. Denmark (49%) What are people happiest about today? Globally, "your relationship with family and friends" (40% are "very happy" with their relationships), stands out above all else. In second and third place as the aspects of life people are most happy about are "your level of self confidence" (27%) and "the role of religion in your life" (23%), the survey shows. Further down the happiness barometer are "your sex life" (19% globally are "very happy" about it), "the material goods you own" (17%), "your job" (15%) and "the amount of leisure time you have" (15% "very happy). At the bottom of the list are "your mastery of technology" (11%), "the amount of money you have" (8%) and "the state of the country's economy" (5%) as things that people worldwide are very happy about today "In twenty of the twenty two countries, we find that people are happiest about their intimate relationships," said Miller. "Clearly, feeling close to your family and friends is one of the universal sources of satisfaction. The only exceptions to this 'rule' are Nigeria, where more people are very happy about the role of religion in their lives," and Venezuela, where people are happiest about their level of self-confidence. The Kuwaitis (76%), British (61%) and Australians (60%) are the happiest about their personal relationships, followed by Argentinians (57%), Americans (56%) and Egyptians (also 56%). Americans lead the world in feeling happiest about the material goods they own (38%), followed by the number-two country, Denmark (33%), and number-three, Australia (32%). Most unhappy in this category are the Ukrainians (55%), Hungarians (44%) and Russians (39%). Venezuelans are the most happy with their sex lives (46%), followed by the Brazilians (32%) and Americans (27%). The people most disappointed with their sex lives are the Chinese (23%) and the French (15%). The countries where people are happiest about their mastery of technology are Venezuela (25%), Australia (22%), and India and Malaysia (20% each). Unhappiest with their mastery of technology are Italy and Hong Kong (38%), Spain (36%) and Denmark (33%).
"What people are happiest about, however, is not necessarily what determines how happy they are," noted Miller. "And while they say 'Money can't buy happiness,' it is precisely money--and the things that money can buy--that are the most strongly correlated with overall life satisfaction," he continued. The Roper Starch study reveals that three things are most highly associated with feeling very happy about your overall quality of life. These are: (1) the amount of money you have; (2) the material goods you own (or what you spend your money on); and (3) your job (or how most people earn their money). Least associated with overall happiness, according to the study, are the role of religion in your life, your mastery of technology, and the amount of leisure time you have. "Money might not be the only path to happiness," Miller observed, "but it certainly helps people get there." While these are the top three "happiness drivers" on a global basis, a somewhat different picture emerges for the United States. For Americans, the most important determinant of overall happiness is one's level of self-confidence, and it leads both the amount of money you have and the job you hold by considerable margins. Other countries where the level of self confidence is most strongly correlated with happiness also include Australia and Denmark--the countries tied with the United States for first place in their overall level of happiness. "For several years now our trend tracking in the US has led us to conclude that the rise of the self-reliant consumer is the defining trend of the 1990s in America. This global study shows the power of that trend," said Miller. "Although this is not yet the case for most of the world, it appears that believing in yourself--choosing your own goals, being true to yourself--is one of the keys to happiness, for the happiest peoples. Maybe this means that, once materialistic needs are met, people have the freedom to choose their own paths to happiness, and that's really what it's all about." The Roper Starch "Global Happiness Barometer" is based on 22,500 interviews with a representative sample of respondents ages 18 years and older in 22 countries. Countries included in the study were: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Italy, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, Spain, the UK, Ukraine, the United States, and Venezuela. Roper Starch Worldwide has its headquarters in Harrison, NY, and offices in New York City, Princeton, NJ, Washington, DC, Dallas, TX, Newport Beach, CA, London and Hong Kong. --30--sm/ny CONTACT: Dick Altman or Roberta Chopp Rothschild
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