Denmark is so happy. May be pay or healthcare?

Not the pay - and especially not after the taxes have been deducted. :)

I believe it's a combination of things.

The free healthcare, free schooling, a social security net to catch you if you should fall or become ill/disabled means that Danes have a lot less to worry about in that area.

But it's probably also a matter of "what makes a person happy?". There were some follow- up studies that showed that the Danes differed from their neigbouring countries in what they considered important to them and what their goals and priorities in life were.

No idea why, but it definitely has a different feel to any of the other European countries I visited. It and New Zealand are the only places I'd be willing to visit again.

They drink a lot of beer.

It's definetely not our pay, half that gets deducted by the gub'mint so we can have that wonderful healthcare system we have, not to mention our public education and all the other commodities we have grown to take for granted. I'd say it's because we get to meet lots of new and interesting people to enrich our culture and because we have a fondness of the good things in life, such as food, drink and new experiences.

I guess in comparison with north America, its fair to say that, the competition that exists in north America doesn't happen in Danish society. Meaning, there're less stress of having better jobs, house, cars, boats,....that ridiculously takes place in north America on daily basis!

In all the years that i lived in Denmark, the simplicity of that life style always overwhelmed me and i ( along with all the other friends, Danish friends also incl. )always asked ourselves that, how boring the life is in Denmark.

Till we moved to north America thus joined into this vicious cycle of ''want more & it's never enough'' and days filled with stress!!

Years later, we got the chance to understand the differences between two societies. In a hard way!!!

Well...is it? To me, most of Danes as well as Norwegians or Finish look pretty much depressed. Yes they do have plenty of benefits but do they have the one and only major benefit most people in Spain, Italy or Greece enjoy since birth? That is: life itself! Then again, check the suicidal rates, alcoholism and family problems Danes have...

Happiness lies likely not where it is advertised and cannot be described in numbers...But then again if Danes feel this way, it's fine by me. But people are smiling all day long where I am standing. No benefits, no nets and no security. But life. Fully guaranteed...