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Hmm, look at who's happier than the U.S.

By Susan Taylor Martin, Times Senior Correspondent
In print: Sunday, July 6, 2008

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ADVERTISEMENT Related Links Who's happiest: Take a look at the full list

As we Americans celebrate our collective birthday this weekend, we ought to be happy. After all, we're still the land of the free and the home of the brave, not to mention the Whopper and the world's largest bowling pin (in Tampa, no less).

Sure, record gas prices are hardly cause for joy. But they're even higher in Denmark ($5.93 a gallon) and yet the Danes still manage to be the happiest people in the world, while Americans rank 16th, according to a new study of the Happiest and Least Happy Countries conducted by the University of Michigan.

"I strongly suspect there is a strong correlation between peace and happiness,'' political scientist Ronald Inglehart, who directed the study, said in a statement.

That could explain why Northern Ireland — which technically isn't a country but remains part of the United Kingdom — comes in as fifth happiest. After decades of the "troubles,'' as residents politely called the mayhem wreaked by Catholic and Protestant paramilitaries, North Ireland is calm and enjoying an economic boom.

Denmark, No. 1 on the happiness scale, has been peaceful since World War II, even though Islamic radicals keep threatening violent revenge because of those Danish cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed.

Coming in at No. 2 is Puerto Rico, which finally got the U.S. Navy to stop bombing the island of Vieques; and at No. 4, Iceland, which shows you don't have to move to the Sun Belt to enjoy life.

I admit to being perplexed why Colombia — synonymous in the minds of many with narco-terrorism — ranks No. 3 in happiness. So I queried my Times colleague David Adams, our Latin America correspondent.

"Probably dance and music and a great culture,'' he e-mailed back.

There is no surprise at the bottom of the scale, with Zimbabwe ranking dead last in happiness. This ravaged African nation has the world's highest inflation rate (100,000 percent) and a dictatorial president, Robert Mugabe, who on June 27 "won'' a runoff election after his opponent was so terrified of being murdered he dropped out of the race and took refuge in the Dutch Embassy.

Other countries in which a majority of people are unhappy include Iraq, for obvious reasons; Albania, one of Europe's poorest nations; and Pakistan, where the Taliban and al-Qaida are regrouping along the border with Afghanistan. Somewhat surprisingly, Russia also ranks low in happiness, perhaps because most of the Russian multimillionaires are now living in London.

The good news in the survey, which was funded by the National Science Foundation, is that the world overall appears to be getting happier. Between 1981 and last year, happiness increased in 45 of the 52 places surveyed.

Among the happier nations is Saudi Arabia (No. 26), where the same record oil prices that depress people elsewhere are pumping billions into the kingdom's already fat coffers. But why should Saudis — whose conservative culture scorns movies, concerts, bars and live theater — be happier than what we always think of as the joie de vivre French (No. 36)?

And what's up with Mexico?

At No. 18, "Mexico is only two countries away from the USA in the happiness scale,'' noted one reader who commented on the findings. "So why are so many Mexicans trying to come to the States?"

Probably because the United States, while hardly the perfect union our forefathers envisioned, stills looks pretty darn good from a global perspective. As Inglehart the researcher says, "It ranks relatively high in gender equality, tolerance of ethnic and social diversity and has high levels of political freedom.''

So here's hoping you had a happy Fourth of July. (Even though people in 15 other countries may have had a happier one.)

Susan Taylor Martin can be contacted at susan@sptimes.com.