The most lykkelig place

WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO the Disney marketeers, the happiest place on Earth is actually far to the east of Anaheim. And no, not the Magic Kingdom in Orlando. Denmark might be the realm of Shakespeare’s gloomiest prince, but according to one researcher who tracks worldwide trends, it’s the home of the world’s most contented people.

Sociologist Ruut Veenhoven of Erasmus University in Rotterdam, Holland, is renowned for creating the World Database on Happiness, an Internet portal with reams of information from worldwide happiness studies. Veenhoven, who is convinced that where a person lives is an important factor in his or her level of happiness, has ranked 91 nations based on residents’ average responses to survey questions about overall satisfaction, with 1 being miserable and 10 being a state of bliss. Denmark leads the globe with an 8.2 ranking on his index; the United States comes in at 7.4, still high but not in the top 10.

So what puts the crinkle in their Kringle? It’s hard to say. Denmark is hardly known for its natural or man-made wonders, and even for Europeans, Copenhagen is not a top vacation destination. The weather -- there are only about five hours of daylight in winter, and summertime temperatures seldom get much above 70 degrees -- can be ruled out as a factor.

It may have something to do with money. The Danes are pretty well off even by Western standards. But not exceptionally so; Denmark’s gross domestic product per capita is $34,600, higher than most European countries but well below those of Ireland, Norway and the United States, which rank lower on the happiness scale. And while money is clearly a contributor to happiness, it’s not a reliable gauge.

Veenhoven, for his part, has his own theories, and they’re not exactly encouraging for Americans in general or Californians in particular. He believes homogeneity plays a role, and Denmark is no melting pot. He also cites democracy and political freedom; in Switzerland, Veenhoven has pointed out, happiness levels are highest in those cantons that have frequent referendums. Funny, but California’s four elections in two years don’t seem to have had that effect.

Happiness could be a function of clean, wellordered cities and towns; good access to education; low crime and high living standards; environmental responsibility; sexual openness and tolerance, and a deep social consciousness. Those are all qualities Denmark and other Scandinavian countries have in abundance. The United States? Well, we have them too -- along with their opposites. Maybe we just have too much to be too happy.