Luxembourg Conducts Its Own Tiny Happiness Survey

From Wikipedia.

Yes, according to 352 Lux Mag, one of the smallest countries in the world now has happiness data. The survey was performed by statisticians CEPS/INSTEAD and focused on the effects of health and money on happiness.

The article is unclear on the details of the study, but apparently 33% of Luxembourgians living in houses without proper facilities are unhappy. Unemployment is also a source of unhappiness, with 25% of the jobless reporting a score of "miserable." The happiest people were those in families with two or more children, reporting 97% happiness, though I don't know if that refers to the parents or the children. Single parents are apparently a dour lot, with only 15% happiness.

These statistics are rather suspect, but maybe the study itself does a better job of explaining them. If you know French, you can read it here. Maybe Luxembourgians just really like kids? I don't know, but I have a hard time believing that 97% of families with two or more children are happy. Most research shows that children DECREASE happiness (though to what degree is in some dispute).

The parts about money seem better founded, though. Most researchers agree that money in an important part of happiness for the impoverished, but in the middle class and beyond, money's effect on longterm happiness decreases significantly (but maybe even that is incorrect). You can read more about positive psychology's on-again, off-again relationship with money in these fabulous blog entries.