Posts tagged Life Satisfaction
Why Do These Four Central America Countries Deliver the Feel Good Factor?
Jan 21st
Costa Rica scored top spot on the 2009 New Economics Happy Planet boasting the highest life satisfaction of anywhere in the world. The secret it seems is an explicit link between happiness and a healthy environment. Costa Rica has long been considered a world-class eco-tourism destination and, with a plan to be carbon neutral by 2021, its place at the top of green happiness rankings seems assured.
Belize delivers it’s own brand of happiness by offering a good balance between affordability and access to services. Too often if you’re looking at cheap real estate areas you have to give up on access to the kind of services and amenities you’re used to back home. Not so in places like Ambergris Caye, a mature tourism and retirement destination but with property prices that are far cheaper than the more well known parts of the Caribbean.
How about Nicaragua? There’s a saying that goes something like this: “Stay for one day and you may never return, but stay for a week in Nicaragua and you’ll be here for life”. The people are friendly, the country is beautiful and the cost of living is the lowest in the region. For many visitors and residents, the country just seems to have a little more ‘heart’ that some of its neighbors.
Or is Panama the country that will deliver the happiness factor for you? If you’ve already invested in the country then you can probably feel quite smug. Panama is emerging strongly out of the global economic downturn. The economy is booming, foreign investment is soaring and infrastructure projects are launching. But it’s still not to late to get a foothold in the market, before the rest of the world catches on.
Costa Rica Ranked World’s Happiest Country
Nov 29th
Natural beauty makes for happy people
It’s no wonder Costa Rica ranks as one of the world’s happiest nations. With excellent health care and a high quality of life coupled with moderate cost of living, Costa Ricans live long, healthy lives in one of the most beautiful countries on earth. Whether scientists evaluate hard facts or solicit citizen opinion, Costa Rica consistently beats out wealthier countries for life satisfaction and comparative standard of living.
The World Database of Happiness considered Gallup and other surveys from 148 nations, and Costa Rica took the top spot for both Average Happiness and Happy Life Years. The first category took into account citizens’ own reports on their happiness: Costa Ricans ranked first with a score of 8.5 on a scale of 1-10; in comparison, the United States ranks 20th, reporting an average happiness of 7.4.
Fresh, affordable and abundant produce help keep Costa Ricans healthy
The second category took into account a nation’s reported happiness and average life expectancy, calculating how many happy life years its citizens lead. Again, Costa Rica ranked first with an average 66.7 happy life years; comparatively, the United States grabbed the 19th slot, averaging 57.9 happy life years.
Additionally, the Happy Planet Index (HPI) ranked nations on reported happiness and their environmental policies. The HPI begins with the basic premise that the world’s happiest people are the ones who are most content living with the smallest ecological impact – in other words, those who enjoy sustainable happiness. Again, Costa Rica slid into first place with its high life satisfaction, life expectancy, and strong environmental policies. In comparison, the United States, with a large ecological footprint, ranked 114 among the 143 nations studied.
Costa Rica is proud of its recent rankings, but the nation’s intangible achievements may be even more impressive than those already studied. An incredible 26% of its total landmass has been declared national park or private reserve, protecting 4% of the world’s total species – that’s 500,000 animal species! In addition to an abundance of flora and fauna, the country’s small area is home to a wide range of outdoor attractions, including volcanoes, cloud forests, beaches, rainforests, and rivers. Living in Costa Rica means diverse scenery, amazing wildlife, and year-round tropical weather – wouldn’t that make you happy?
All children are guaranteed the right to education
After abolishing its army in 1948, Costa Rica funneled funds into its public education and national health system, producing some of Latin America’s healthiest and best-educated individuals. Furthermore, the nation’s high level of education helped close the gender gap. According to the World Economic Forum gender gap index, Costa Rican women now enjoy more equality than their United States counterparts.
With so much in its favor, it’s easy to see why many call Costa Rica paradise. A lucky some call it home – will you be one of them?
