We are the happiest Nation in Europe
Would you look at that. Ireland has officially been ranked as the happiest Nation in Europe, according to a new report.
The Special Eurobarometer 471 “Fairness, inequality and inter-generational mobility” interviewed 28,031 people from 28 EU countries last December, including more than 1,000 people in Ireland.
The keys areas included education, financial income, social status and social mobility, along with perception surrounding perceptions on migration and globalisation.
What the survey found was that a whopping 97 per cent of Irish people said they consider themselves to be happy, the highest in Europe! The average elsewhere was 83pc.
While 92pc of Irish people surveyed agree they are in good health, well above the 78pc EU average.
Ireland also ranked highly in the areas of equal opportunity (3rd highest with 80pc) and trustworthiness (75pc of Irish people think that the majority of people in the country can be trusted).
Speaking to The Independent, Tibor Navracsics, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, said: “Fairness is a crucial part of building a more resilient, cohesive Europe.
"Our initiatives in this area need to be based on sound evidence, but at the same time take the values and perceptions of Europeans into account.
"I am proud that the JRC's work is helping us increase our knowledge on both counts, making a vital contribution to our efforts to build a better Europe for the future."
