IRELAND RANKS 19 out of 157 countries in terms of overall happiness, a new report says.

The World Happiness Report from the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) says that Ireland is one of the “best examples of happiness maintenance in the face of large external shocks”.

The report takes into account national GDP, a country’s record on government or business corruption, life expectancy and “having someone to count on”, an area in which Ireland scored highly.

“The percentage of people who report that they have someone to count on in times of crisis is exceptionally high in Iceland and Ireland.”

Denmark took the top spot, with the top ten reading:

1. Denmark
2. Switzerland
3. Iceland
4. Norway
5. Finland
6. Canada
7. Netherlands
8. New Zealand
9. Australia
10. Sweden

Israel, the US and Germany are among those ahead of Ireland, but the UK, Spain and Italy are behind us.

Happiness, the report says, is linked to life expectancy, trust, co-operation and an ability to cope with life’s demands.

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