What is Happiness to Norwegians - And How Happy Are They?

Abstract

Happiness among people is a goal of our society, but there is still no absolute agreement on how to measure happiness. This study gives a comprehensive overview of the key literature and findings associated with happiness and a comparative overview of the most common approaches to measure happiness. Utilizing a survey approach, a representative selection of the Norwegian population (1.000 respondents) was asked 1) What they perceive as key attributes of happiness (descriptive), 2) how they rate their own happiness, and 3) their happiness relative to the rest of the population. The responses are tested relative to income, age, gender and education. Norway is positioned at the top of several self-reported happiness rankings and therefore is an interesting population to study. The findings show that social relationships such as family and friends is clearly perceived as the most important attribute of happiness, while health holds second place. One’s own personal economic situation is perceived as contributing only very small part of individual’s happiness. In relation to age, the results suggest people between the ages of 30 to 40 years are the least happy population, while after the age of 60, the perception of happiness increases. In general, the perception of being happier relative to others increases with income and age as well as education. With regards to relationship between happiness and educational attainment, those who discontinuing education after vocational school, are least happy population, whereas people with a bachelor’s degree are relatively the happiest.