What is the one thing everyone is searching for? Happiness.
Many people consider happiness the key to living a great life. Finding the right country to live in to achieve that happiness can be tricky. Forbes has compiled a list of the top 10 happiest countries int he world. Canada happens to be the only country in both North and South America to make the list, landing itself at number 7.
The report ranked 156 countries across six factors: GDP (Gross Domestic Product), life expectancy, social support, generosity, freedom and corruption. The United States didn’t make the top 10 but it did land the number 18th spot.
The United States’ neighbour, Canada, has nailed the happiness meter with it’s high life expectancy, small population and extraordinary landscape offering everything from absolute solitude to city living at its edgiest. The extensive landscape makes Canada the second largest country in the entire world by area. Earth Porm reported that 80% of all Canadian residents say that they enjoy more positive experiences than negative in the average day in Canada.
There are several reasons why Canada is considered one of the happiest countries in the world:
- Long Life Expectancy – In 2009, the average life expectancy of a Canadian born was 81.2 years. For perspective, an American born in the same year had a life expectancy of 78 years – Conference Board of Canada
- High average income levels – In 2012, Canada’s income per capita was $36,138 US, close to $12,000 less than leading Norway, but still not bad at all! – Conference Board of Canada
- Strong social ties – family, friends, co-workers and people we associate with regularly are part of the strong social ties that keep us Canadians happy. They take more time, effort and emotional investment than weak social ties and are an important part of our lives.
- Physical health – Higher physical activity levels contribute to a happier, healthier lifestyle that reduces obesity, heart attacks, stress and several other medical conditions. In 2011, approximately 55 percent of Canadians lived an active or moderately active lifestyle – Statistics Canada
- Mental health – Our mental health is an integral part of being happy. Those who are mentally healthy enjoy life exponentially more so than those who aren’t and are more capable to cope with hard times in personal and professional environments – Canadian Mental Health Association
- Sense of community – closely related, if not identical to the World Happiness Report 2013 finding strong social ties to be an integral part of happiness for Canadians.
- Stress levels – High stress can be the cause of several medical conditions including circulatory problems, heart attacks and even cancer. The amount of Canadians reporting they were stressed decreased to 22.7 percent in 2012, down from 23.6 percent the year before. – Statistics Canada
Living in one of the happiest countries in the world isn’t as impossible as you may think! Find out if you qualify to move to Canada today.
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VisaPlace Immigration News Contributor
Ella Bergquist
Hello! I am one of VisaPlace's many immigration news contributors. Comment below if you have any questions or comments about this article.
