For the third year in a row, studies have confirmed what we’ve all known for ages. Australia is officially the happiest place in the world. The study, known as the Better Life Index, is compiled by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development every year as part of its work with various governments to promote economic and social well-being.
The study looks at developed economies around the world, and Australia won the top spot due to the state of its economy which is far stronger than many other similarly prominent nations. In total, more than thirty countries were compared across a number of criteria like health, income levels, housing and safety. The runners-up in the top five countries in this competition were Sweden, Canada, Norway and Switzerland.
The OECD remarked that Australia performs particularly well in measures of well-being, such as the percentage of people in work and average life expectancy. We like to think that’s not particularly surprising given our highly sociable nature. Our economic health has come in large part from our mining wealth, so we’ve been able to side-step the worst of the global recession.
All this means we’ve had more time to focus on the important things in life, like strong communities and friendships. Having jobs not only keeps the wolf from the door, but it also keeps us learning and socialising with each other so that we keep growing and building.
That energy needs to be used; and where better to do that than on the dating scene? With money in our pockets, and some of the best restaurants, clubs and facilities in the world, we’ve a lot to shout about when it comes to having a good time. Doing our best to appreciate and use those facilities would seem now almost to be our patriotic duty? Let’s see if we can get ourselves to the top of the list next year too!