Europe Day: Denmark, Switzerland and Ireland are continent's happiest countries
Denmark has been ranked as the happiest country in the world three times since 2012
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The on-going achievement of peace and unity across Europe since the creation of the European Union is celebrated each year on 9 May, praising in particular the defence of human rights and parliamentary democracy that has been protected across the continent since 1949.
It’s little wonder, then, that Denmark is officially the happiest country in Europe, where its citizens have high levels of trust in the government’s system of parliamentary democracy, and, as one resident put it: “no worries”.
Denmark has been named the happiest country in the world three times since 2012, according to a number of factors outlined by the UN in its World Happiness Report 2016.
These include GDP per capita, healthy years of life expectancy and social support, the idea of trust, as measured by a perceived absence of corruption in government and business, and the perceived freedom to make life decisions.
“We have no worries,” said Knud Christensen, a 39-year-old social worker from Copenhagen. “And if we do worry, it’s about the weather. Will it rain today, or remain grey, or will it be cold?”.
Of the European countries outlined in the global report, Denmark is closely followed on the happiness scale by Switzerland, Iceland and Norway – the UK, which is due to vote on its membership of the EU this summer - does not rank inside the top 10, instead placing at number 13, just behind Ireland.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments