Where does your country rank in overall life satisfaction?
According to this article over at Quartz, data from the Gallup World Poll as presented in Paris-based think tank Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)'s Society at a Glance 2014 report, 15 countries are ranked above the United States.
The top 10 countries reporting high life satisfaction are:
- Switzerland
- Norway
- Iceland
- Sweden
- Denmark
- Netherlands
- Austria
- Canada
- Finland
- Australia
Life satisfaction, according to the report, is determined by both economic development as well as people's diverse experiences and living conditions. There's a broad regional/cultural grouping as four out of the top five countries are Nordic. The report noted that, on average across OECD countries, women report slightly higher levels of life satisfaction than men, and that life satisfaction decreases with age.
The bottom 10 countries are
- Russian Federation
- Estonia
- Indonesia
- Turkey
- Greece
- China
- Portugal
- Hungary
- India
- South Africa
If you're wondering, the poll asked 1,000 to 4,000 residents of a country the following: "Imagine an eleven-rung ladder where the bottom (0) represents the worst possible life for you and the top (10) represents the best possible life for you. On which step of the ladder do you feel you personally stand at the present time?"