Popular_Science_2020_Winter bookshq.net

SCATTERED

4 Despite bone-chilling win-

ters, Finland is the happiest

country on Earth. It soars

above Taiwan, which boasts

a similar GDP per capita plus

tropical breezes. Slimmer

wage gaps and government

mandates like long-term paid

parental leave and free health

care might be key; these perks

relieve stressors, giving citi-

zens fewer reasons to frown.

by CANDICE WA N G

infographic by SARA CHODOSH

national pleasure

18 WINTER 2020 / POPSCI.COM

EACH YEAR, THE MAKERS

of the World Happiness Report survey

people from more than 150 countries and

try to pinpoint a recipe for bliss. Wealth,

to some extent, tends to raise content-

edness, but several regions are more

satisfied than their coffers alone can ex-

plain. Some secrets to a cheery existence

include solid social support, a long life ex-

pectancy, plenty of freedom, and a lack of

corruption. Those outliers exemplify how

some countries rise above the mean.

3 Costa Rica’s Nicoya Penin-

sula is a “Blue Zone”— a place

where locals frequently live

past 100. The national average

is 81 years, which is already far

above Latin America’s average

of 75. This longevity varies

relatively little across income

levels: The poorest Costa

Ricans die at a rate 1.5 times

higher than the wealthiest,

while in the US it’s closer to 3.4.

1 Somalis enjoy tight-knit
families, as their national
culture tends to prioritize kin
above all else. The resulting
support network of female rel-
atives lessens the burdens of
childcare (from birth through
rearing) on working mothers.
Despite a civil war that’s been
going on since 1991, surveys
suggest it’s one of the most
contented countries in Africa.

2 Most Central Asian na-

tions remain dictatorships, so

Uzbekistan stands out within

the region— and the World

Happiness Report indicates

that a sense of freedom is a

big mood booster. The coun-

try has taken some tentative

steps against authoritarianism

since long-term dictator Islam

Karimov’s death in 2016, kin-

dling hope among the Uzbeks.

Finland

Uzbekistan

Somalia

Costa Rica

$100 $1,000 $10,000 $100,

GDP per capita

more happy

less happy

East Asia & Pacific

Europe & Central Asia

Latin America & Caribbean

Middle East & North Africa

North America

South Asia

Sub-Saharan Africa

REGION

Pakistan

Nigeria

Malta

New Zealand

USA

1

2

3 4

SOURCE:

WORLD HAPPINESS REPORT 2019

, WORLD BANK

http://www.bookshq.net