A truckload of cash, the right to vote and some damn fine weather - this is what researchers say makes Australians some of the happiest people in the world. New research, led by Dr Andrew Leigh of the Australian National University, has analysed a mass of "happiness" data obtained over the past six decades.
It's not just about the famous sunshine and beaches. 91% of Australians say they are happy with their water quality. Air quality in Australia is also highly rated. PM10 is a tiny particulate matter that can harm human health.
Freedom to make your own choices and feel in control of your life and your surroundings is a major impact on your overall happiness. Freedom of speech, opinion, religion, association and movement is a basic right in most countries, however, in Australia, this is monitored and people are given freedom through safety.
Australia's long been referred to as 'the lucky country' and now we can start saying we're one of the happiest countries in the world, too. The United Nation's 2023 World Happiness Index has just been released, and Australia has come in at a very cheery 12th position.
Eight in 10 (80%) Australians are describing themselves as happy, however this is a fall from 85% in December 2021, according to Ipsos's latest Global Happiness survey. On average globally, nearly three in four (73%) adults across 32 countries describe themselves as happy.
Humility and authenticity are strong values in Australian culture. As such, Australians are very down to earth and always mindful of not giving the impression that they think they are better than anyone else. They also tend to value sincerity, humour, informality, whilst loathing pretentiousness.
Moving onto the data below on life satisfaction, it is becoming increasingly clear that Australians feel far happier about their lifestyle than the British. In this survey, citizens from both the UK and Australia were asked to give an evaluation of their lives.
“Queensland's known as the Sunshine State. All those rays and the laid-back lifestyle might be among the reasons why it's Australia's happiest state,” Bayliss said.
The Australian flag has the nation's vote for being the image or symbol about which we are most proud. 95% of Australians take pride in the national flag, which is enjoying increasing popularity, with half (50%) saying that they are extremely proud.
The report dropped earlier this week with a ranking of the happiest countries, the least happy and those in between. Australia ranked 12th behind Austria and ahead of Canada, Ireland, the United States, Germany, Belgium, Czechia, the United Kingdom and Lithuania.
Australians living in rural areas have the highest wellbeing, marginally ahead of those in capital and regional cities. Queensland claimed the title of the country's happiest state.
Australia performs well in many dimensions of well-being relative to other countries in the Better Life Index. Australia outperforms the average in income, jobs, education, health, environmental quality, social connections, civic engagement and life satisfaction. These assessments are based on available selected data.
According to Dr Tanya King, senior lecturer in anthropology from Victoria's Deakin University, “it's Australians' egalitarianism, sense of humour and informal language that are most commonly cited as examples of this attitude”.
Australians are very friendly and easy-going people. In fact, Australians are renowned for their laid-back nature and unique sense of humour. Another thing Australians are known for is their love of sport, recreation and the great outdoors.
A “no worries” attitude
If there's one thing Aussies are known for, it's their easy-going, friendly attitude. Of course food, events, art and history are all vital parts of the Australian culture, but what really distinguishes an Aussie is his or her laid-back outlook on life.
What Australia is well known for? Australia is globally famous for its natural wonders, wide-open spaces, beaches, deserts, "The Bush", and "The Outback". Australia is one of the world's most highly urbanised countries; it's well known for its attractive mega cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth.
Reasons for pride
Australia is one of the world's youngest nations, formed on January 1, 1901. So our continent hosts one of the youngest nations of the world and also the oldest nations of the world. We are unique. In 1901, Indigenous Australians weren't full citizens and lived under segregation.
Australians (or Aussies) have been inventive in adapting their cultural roots to suit the new environment, climate and resources of the country. Modern society is asserting a confident and unique identity through its diversity, language(s), architecture, 'Australianised' cuisine, bush identity and sporting prowess.
“The friendliest city in Australia awards goes to Perth, thanks to its lively locals, engaging social scene and ease of access for first-time visitors. Perth is a wonderfully vibrant and social place to be. Expect to make new friends in every bar you go to.”
For the sixth year in a row, Finland is the world's happiest country, according to World Happiness Report rankings based largely on life evaluations from the Gallup World Poll.
Australia ranks 7th for wellbeing on the OECD Better Life Index, based on living conditions and quality of life. In 2022, there was A$118.4 billion foreign direct investment in Australia's manufacturing sector – up 2.9 per cent from 2021.
Australia has a strong tradition of respect for the rights and freedoms of every individual. This tradition is founded on the rule of law, which is a core value of our democracy requiring that all authority be subject to, and constrained by, the law.
Australia scored highly in the United Nations' 2022 World Happiness Report, ranking as the 12th happiest country out of 156 countries – ahead of Canada (15th), the United States (16th) and the United Kingdom (17th).