Kiwis happier with their lot

[MotherBear]

New Zealanders so happy to be here
5:00AM Sunday March 04, 2007
By Ann Newbery

New Zealanders are prone to moaning about the nation's politicians, weather, public transport and the inconsistency of our sports teams, but it seems we are happier with our lot than 90 per cent of the world.

In a global survey of "subjective well-being", New Zealand came in at 18 out of 178 nations on the happiness scale. We outrank America (23), the UK (41) - and, big smile here folks! - arch-rivals Australia (at 26).

European countries beat everyone else at looking on the bright side of life. Top of the table was Denmark, with Switzerland second, and Austria and Iceland in third and fourth places. Finland came in sixth and Sweden seventh.

Bhutan, a southern Asian country so isolated that it didn't get TV and the internet until 1999 when its king lifted a ban took eighth place.

More here .