Spain ranks seventh among the happiest countries in the world in terms of sustainable well-being, only behind Vanuatu, Sweden, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Nicaragua, and tied with Denmark.
This is clear from the seventh edition of the Happy Planet Index, prepared by the think tank Hot or Cool Institute, based in Berlin (Germany), and released this Thursday. The report was first released in 2006. Subsequent editions correspond to 2009, 2012, 2016, 2021 and 2024.
He concludes that a higher level of consumption does not translate into a higher level of well-being and that excessive consumption not only harms the planet, but does not seem to help people either.
Living well and healthily does not have to cost the planet according to the study, which analyzes the extent to which countries around the world guarantee the health and well-being of their citizens while respecting the environment.
The study includes a ranking of 147 countries based on three parameters: life expectancy, well-being (how satisfied people are with their lives) and carbon footprint.
Although no country achieves a 'good' score in all three components, some come close. Vanuatu leads the classification (57.9 points), ahead of Sweden (55.9), El Salvador (54.7), Costa Rica (54.1), Nicaragua (53.6) and Denmark and Spain (tied at 53.0).
Spain obtains scores above the average in life expectancy and well-being, and below the average in carbon footprint.
Finally, the study indicates that having a higher GDP does not necessarily lead to well-being within ecological limits. That parameter is a fundamental metric for today's society, but it doesn't capture everything important because it says nothing about social and environmental well-being, both vital for long-term stability.
Additionally, six out of 10 countries with the highest GDP per capita have below-average scores on the Happy Planet Index.
