Filipinos one of the happiest people on Earth

Filipinos are one of the most cheerful people in the world.

According to data of the Happy Planet Index compiled by the British think-tank New Economics Foundation, The Philippines is 17th among 178 countries ranked as the happiest on Earth.

The tiny South Pacific Ocean archipelago of Vanuatu is the happiest, with Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, and Panama complete the top five according to the study which measures people’s well being and their impact on the environment.

The index combines life satisfaction, life expectancy and environmental footprint — the amount of land required to sustain the population and absorb its energy consumption.

Zimbabwe is at the bottom, below second-worst performer Swaziland, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ukraine.

Among the first world nations, Italy came out best in 66th place, ahead of Germany (81), Japan (95), Britain (108), Canada (111), France (129), the United States (150) and Russia, in lowly 172nd place.

Andrew Simms, NEF’s policy director, said the index “addresses the relative success or failure of countries in giving their citizens a good life while respecting the environmental resource limits on which all our lives depend.”

Nic Marks, the head of NEF’s center for wellbeing, added: “It is clear that no single nation listed in the Happy Planet Index has got everything right.

“But the index does reveal patterns that show how we might better achieve long and happy lives for all, whilst living within our environmental means,” he said, according to British daily The Guardian. “The challenge is: can we learn the lessons and apply them?”

Also on the list are 23. Indonesia; 31. China; 32. Thailand; 44. Malaysia; 62. India; 64. Iceland; 70. Netherlands; 87. Spain; 88. Hong Kong; 89. Saudi Arabia; 99. Denmark; 112. Pakistan; 115. Norway; 119. Sweden; 123. Finland; 139. Australia; 154. UAE; 156. South Africa; 159. Kuwait; 166. Qatar.