For the third time in four years, Denmark has topped the list for the happiest place in the world, or so a report created by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and Columbia University tells us. Having absorbed the news, and the slap in the face re our own lowly position, we thought of a number of reasons why this might be the case. Six reasons in total, to be precise...
1) Gender equality is more of a thing
Denmark has had a female Prime Minster (Helle Thorning-Schmidt) and, perhaps almost as significantly, a female prime minster featured in its hit tv show, Borgen. Birgitte Nyborg Christensen was a complex female character who provided a welcome contrast to the Frank Underwoods of the TV world. Denmark regularly ranks among the top 10 countries for gender equality - it should come as no surprise that the more equally two halves of a population are treated, the greater the overal sum of happiness will be.
2) Danish people are very pretty
Like Freja Beha Erichsen, this elfin-faced model. We're 90 percent sure the streets of Denmark are filled with thousands of Frejas, all floating around, smiling at each other's cheekbones. See also a male specimen, Nikolal Coster Waldau, aka Jaime Lannister in Game of Thrones, below.
3) And so well-dressed
There's a good contingent of Danish designers to look to for beautiful clothes. We're thinking Ivan Grundahl, Baum und Pferdgarten, Henrik Vibskov... a tradition of clean lines and a lot of black. What's not to love?
4) Their universities are free
On a very civilised move on Denmark's part, it doesn't charge any EU students for higher education. The University of Copenhagen is the highest-ranked university in the whole Scandinavian region, (69th in the QS World University Rankings 2015/16) and looks very beautiful in the snow.
5) Open sandwiches exist
Have the Danes seen the light when it comes to bread on bread or - in their case - air on bread? The famous Danish open sandwhich is a 'Smørrebrød' and traditionally consists of a piece of buttered rye bread topped with a delicacy of your choice. Boost your happiness by getting rid of that pesky top bread layer and giving yourself a visual treat every time you eat your lunch.
6) They're amazing at interior design
We could scroll through photos of minimalist Danish chairs forever. So classy. So simple. After scrolling through HAY's feed we feel tempted to paint everything I own white.
7) Everybody cycles
A bike produces exactly zero carbon emissions and in Copenhagan, Denmark's largest city, bikes account for 50% of the population's trips to work. That makes for cleaner air, less road rage and a fun zippy commute for millions of Danes every day. Imagine transplanting a tube-load of unhappy, sweaty Londoners onto bicycles. We'd be free-wheeling all the way to the Shard! Happiness indeed.
Images: GETTY, Instagram
