You're reading: Danish report: Ukraine among least equally happy countries in Europe

A report published by Danish think tank Happiness Research Institute on July 1 says Ukraine ranks 26 out of 29 nations in their index for Europe. The report focuses on equality as a key factor of happiness, arguing that it should be a major political goal.

People are not
equally happy in Ukraine, the report found. The institute, which investigates
why some societies are happier than others, said Ukraine was the fourth least
equal in Europe when it comes to happiness. The index is “the first of its
kind,” according to Meik Wiking, head of the Happiness Research Institute.

The least equally
happy countries in Europe are Albania, Bulgaria, and Kosovo, putting Eastern
Europe at the bottom of the index. Neighboring Russia does not do much better,
ranking 24th, only two spots above Ukraine. Long presented as models when it
comes to happiness, the Nordic countries remain
perched at the top, with Finland, Holland, Norway and Denmark being the most
equally happy countries in Europe.

“We must move beyond addressing inequality from a purely economic
perspective,” Wiking said.

The report aims to introduce new approaches when looking at inequalities
inside countries, as well as to define happiness and wellbeing as a key
political goal. By asking if equal societies are happier, the Happiness
Research Institute shows a correlation between the average happiness level and
the happiness equality level. This in turn raises the question of causality
between the two elements.

As Wiking said, “inequality causes crime, social unrest and even
armed conflicts.”

Several countries have already made efforts to consider happiness as a
key measure of development, according to the report. In the U.S., the National
Academy of Sciences is examining how the measure of happiness can be used in
development policy. The Asian country of Bhutan has the Gross National
Happiness measurement, which replaced gross domestic product to gauge
prosperity in 1971. The UN adopted a
resolution in 2011 recognizing that “the pursuit of happiness is a
fundamental human goal.” The resolution asks that member states develop
new indicators for measuring happiness to guide their policies.

Kyiv Post summer intern Yves Souben can be reached at [email protected].