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Average Happiness in Nations by Year in data file ‘Trends in Nations’

  • Happiness is how much one likes the life one lives. Average happiness in nations is expressed in the mean of responses to single questions on happiness in general population surveys.
  • Time series of at least 20 years and 10 data points
  • Links in the left hand column lead to a listing of scores on this measure of happiness in different nations
  • Links in the column ‘nation’ lead to scores on all measures of happiness in that nation.
Happiness variant
Equivalent measure type
Question variant(s)
Variable Code (1)
Nation
Since
Happiness
3-stepO-HL-c-sq-v-3-aa/ai/d/f/jM-hl3_frFrance1947
O-HL-c-sq-v-3-aa/ab/d/fM-hl3_itItaly1965
O-HL-c-sq-v-3-a/abM-hl3_luLuxembourg1975
O-HL-c-sq-v-3-a/aa/ab/d/f/jM-hl3_ukUK1948
O-HL-c/g-sq-v-3-a/aa/ab/d/f/lM-hl3_usUSA1947
O-HL-c-sq-v-3-aaM-hl3a_usUSA1957
O-HL-g-sq-v-3-dM-hl3d_usUSA1975
4-stepO-HL-g/u-sq-g-v-a/fM-hl4_mxMexico1981
O-HL-c/g/u-sq-v-4-a/fM-hl4_noNorway1981
O-HL-c/u-sq-v-4-a/f/oM-hl4_plPoland1990
O-HL-u-sq-v-4-aM-hl4_roRomania1990
O-HL-c/g/u-sq-v-4-a/aa/ga/b/f/hM-hl4_ruRussia1989
O-HL-c/u-sq-v-4-a/g/fM-hl4_siSlovenia1991
O-HL-c/u-sq-v-4-a/ga/fM-hl4_seSweden1982
O-HL-c/g/u-sq-v-4-a/aa/b/fM-hl4-_usUSA1946
5-stepO-HL-u-sq-v-5-a/dM-hl5_nlNetherlands1977
O-HL-c/u-sq-v-5-a/d/gM-hl5_zaSouth Africa1983
Life satisfaction
2-stepO-SLP-g-sq-v-2-bM-ls2_usUSA1979
4-stepO-SLu-g-sq-v-4-b/c/da/dcM-ls4_arArgentina1997
O-SLL-u-sq-v-4-bM-ls4_atAustria1995
O-SLL-u-sq-v-4-bM-ls4_beBelgium1973
O-SLu-g-sq-v-4-b/c/da/dcM-ls4_bgBulgaria2001
O-SLu-g-sq-v-4-b/c/da/dcM-ls4_boBolivia1997
O-SLu-g-sq-v-4-b/c/da/dcM-ls4_brBrazil1997
O-SLu-g-sq-v-4-b/c/da/dcM-ls4_clChile1997
O-SLu-g-sq-v-4-b/c/da/dcM-ls4_coColumbia1997
O-SLu-g-sq-v-4-b/c/da/dcM-ls4_crCosta Rica1997
O-SLL-u-sq-v-4-bM-ls4_hkCroatia2004
O-SLL/SLW-u-sq-v-4-bM-ls4_cyCyprus2001
O-SLL/SLW-u-sq-v-4-bM-ls4_czCzech Republic2001
O-SLL-u-sq-v-4-bM-ls4_dkDenmark1973
O-SLu-g-sq-v-4-b/c/da/dcM-ls4_elsalEl Salvador1997
O-SLu-g-sq-v-4-b/c/da/dcM-ls4_eqEquador1997
O-SLL/SLW-u-sq-v-4-bM-ls4_eeEstonia2001
O-SLL-u-sq-v-4-bM-ls4_fiFinland1990
O-SLL-u-sq-v-4-bM-ls4_frFrance1973
O-SLL-u-sq-v-4-bM-ls4_deGermany (re-united)1990
O-SLL-u-sq-v-4-bM-ls4_grGreece1981
O-SLu-g-sq-v-4-b/c/da/dcM-ls4_hnHonduras1997
O-SLL/SLW-u-sq-v-4-bM-ls4_huHungary2001
O-SLL-u-sq-v-4-bM-ls4_ieIreland1973
O-SLL-u-sq-v-4-bM-ls4_itItaly1973
O-SLu/W-c/u-sq-v-4-e/f/gM-ls4_jpJapan1958
O-SLL/SLW-u-sq-v-4-bM-ls4_lvLatvia2001
O-SLL/SLW-u-sq-v-4-bM-ls4_ltLithunia2001
O-SLL-u-sq-v-4-bM-ls4_luLuxembourg1973
O-SLL/SLW-u-sq-v-4-bM-ls4_mtMalta2001
O-SLu-g-sq-v-4-b/c/da/dcM-ls4_mxMexico1997
O-SLL-u-sq-v-4-bM-ls4_nlNetherlands1973
O-SLu-g-sq-v-4-b/c/da/dcM-ls4_niNicaragua1991
O-SLu-g-sq-v-4-b/c/da/dcM-ls4_paPanama1997
O-SLu-g-sq-v-4-b/c/da/dcM-ls4_pyParaguay1997
O-SLu-g-sq-v-4-b/c/da/dcM-ls4_pePeru1997
O-SLL/SLW-u-sq-v-4-bM-ls4_plPoland2001
O-SLL-g/u-sq-v-4-bM-ls4_ptPortugal1985
O-SLL/SLW-u-sq-v-4-b/dM-ls4_roRomania1998
O-SLL/SLW-u-sq-v-4-bM-ls4_skSlovakia2001
O-SLL/SLW-u-sq-v-4-bM-ls4_Slovenia2001
O-SLL-u-sq-v-4-bM-ls4_spSpain1985
O-SLL-u-sq-v-4-bM-ls4_siSweden1995
O-SLL-u-sq-v-4-bM-ls4_ukUK (Great Britain)1973
O-SLu-g-sq-v-4-b/c/da/dcM-ls4_veVenezuela1997
5-stepO-SLW-u-sq-v-5-a/g/k/lM-ls5_jpJapan1978
O-HP-u-sq-v-5-aM-hl5_nlNetherlands1974
O-HL-c/u-sq-v-5-a/d/gM-hl5_saSouth Africa1981
4+5 stepMean ls4_jp and ls5_jpM-ls45_pjJapan1958
10-stepO-SLW-c-sq-n-10-a/j/lM-ls10_caCanada1982
O-SLW-c-sq-n-10-a/aa/jM-ls10_dkDenmark1981
O-SLW-c-sq-n-10-a/bM-ls10_frFrance1981
O-SLW-c-sq-n-10-a/aaM-ls10_isIceland1981
O-SLW-c-sq-n-10-a/aa/lM-ls10_krKorea (south)1981
O-SLW-c-sq-n-10-a/aa/lM-ls10_mxMexico1981
O-SLW/SLL-c/u-sq-n-10-a/aa/c/lM-ls10_nlNetherlands1981
O-SLW-c-sq-n-10-a/b/lM-ls10_roRomania1990
O-SLW-c-sq-n-10-a/aa/g/lM-ls10_ruRussia1990
O-SLW-c-sq-n-10-a/b/lM-ls10_seSweden1982
11-stepO-SLW-c-sq-n-11-a/d/caM-ls11_auAustralia1975
O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-a/cc/cd/cjM-ls11_beBelgium1975
O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-a/ebM-ls11_caCanada1975
O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-a/cc/cd/cjM-ls11_dkDenmark1975
O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-a/ba/cc/cd/cj/d/gM-ls11_geGermany1984
O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-a/bb/cc/cdM-ls11_fiFinland1976
O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-a/cc/cdM-ls11_frFrance1975
O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-a/cc/cd/cj/gM-ls11_huHungary1992
O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-a/cc/cd/cjM-ls11_isIceland2004
O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-a/cc/cd/cj/ebM-ls11_irIreland1975
O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-a/cdM-ls11_ilIsrael2002
O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-a/bb/cc/cd/cjM-ls11_itItaly1975
O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-aM-ls11_jpJapan1975
O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-a/gM-ls11_krKorea (South)1980
O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-a/cc/cd/cjM-ls11_luLuxembourg1975
O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-a/bb/cc/cd/cjM-ls11_nlNetherlands1974
O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-aM-ls11_mxMexico1975
O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-a/cc/cd/cjM-ls11_noNorway1990
O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-a/cc/cdM-ls11_plPoland2002
O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-a/cc/cd/cjM-ls11_roRomania2006
O-SLC/SLu/SLW-c-sq-n-11-a/cc/cd/dM-ls11_ruRussia1991
O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-a/cc/cd/cjM-ls11_skSlovakia2004
O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-a/cc/cd/cj/gM-ls11_siSlovenia1991
O-SLu/SLW-c/g/u-sq-n-11-a/b/c/dM-ls11_zaSouth Africa2002
O-SLu/SLW-c/g-sq-n-11-a/c/cc/cd/cjM-ls11_spSpain2000
O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-a/ac/cd/cj/gM-ls11_seSweden1982
O-SLu/SLW-c/g-sq-n-11-bb/cc/cd/cjM-ls11_chSwitzerland1976
O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-a/bb/cc/cd/gM-ls11_trTurkey2001
O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-a/cdM-ls11_uaUkraine2004
O-SLW-c-sq-n-11-a/bb/c/cc/cj/kaM-ls11_ukUK (Great Britain)1971
O-SLP/SLW-c/u-sq-n-11-a/b/bb/e/kaM-ls11_usUSA1959
Best-Worst possible life
11-stepC-BW-c-sq-l-11-a/cM-bw11_brBrazil1960
C-BW-c-sq-l-11-a/cM-bw11-caCanada1975
C-BW-c-sq-l-11-cM-bw11-cnChina1999
C-BW-c-sq-l-11-a/cM-bw11-egEgypt1960
C-BW-c-sq-l-11-a/cM-bw11-frFrance1975
C-BW-c-sq-l-11-a/cM-bw11-inIndia1962
C-BW-c-sq-l-11-a/cM-bw11-itItaly1975
C-BW-c-sq-l-11-a/cM-bw11-jpJapan1962
C-BW-c-sq-l-11-a/cM-bw11-krKorea (South)1981
C-BW-c-sq-l-11-a/cM-bw11-mxMexico1975
C-BW-c-sq-l-11-a/cM-bw11-ngNigeria1963
C-BW-c-sq-l-11-a/cM-bw11-paPanama1962
C-BW-c-sq-l-11-a/cM-bw11_phPhilippines1959
C-BW-c-sq-l-11-a/cM-bw11-plPoland1962
C-BW-c-sq-l-11-cM-bw11-ruRussia2002
C-BW-c-sq-l-11-aM-bw11_usUSA1959
Delighted-Terrible Life
7-stepO-DT-u-sq-v-7-aM-dt7_plPoland1991

1) Variable codes consist of three elements:
– Mean (M) happiness in the nation
– Measure type (e.g. ‘ls4’ for a single question on life-satisfaction rated on a 4-step response scale).
Coding explained here.
– Nation code (two digit ISO code e.g., ‘be’ for Belgium)

2) Means are transformed to range 0-10. Method explained here
Ratings on verbal response scale are transformed using fixed values for response options, which neutralizes differences in response options used, such as ‘very happy’and ‘happy’

Same variable in data file ‘States of nations’ Happiness

Back to What is this data file Trends in nations?