U.S.: 11th happiest place on earth

It means you're not living in the Middle East or Africa or Mexico or much of South America.

That takes a lot of shitholes out of the equation.

I don't think that really matters unless you are "blaming" the U.S. for "only" being 11th. There is a reason the U.S. ranks lower than Denmark, just as there is a reason Vanderbilt football ranks lower than Alabama. "Bring me your huddled masses" means you're gonna get huddled masses. That's not necessarily a good thing for everybody.

Cultural diversity means cultural clashes and anger and sometimes violence, which can make for less-happier people.

A person from Tunisia who lands in the U.S. as a cab driver may be happier than he would be in Denmark.

But the person sitting in his cab who can't understand a word he's saying might be a little frustrated and less happy.

 

I guess one of the major parameters here is the economic strength of one's country, and it's no surprise that the Nordic countries dominated this list. Quality of life is another particularly measurable metric as well. So no wonder that third-world or so called emerging countries are nowhere to be found there.

 

Canada would be one.