Is being happy and fulfilled in life linked to earnings? While companies can help make employees happier with more substantial benefits and more robust time-off policies, the truth is, salaries are a key player.
As part of a wider study looking at the best countries to launch a startup, Business Name Generator has compared employee happiness and quality of life to their average monthly salary to find out if there is a correlation.
The 10 world’s happiest countries and the link to salaries
| Rank | Country | Happiness score | Mean monthly salary (£) |
| 1 | Finland | 7.80 | £3,690 |
| 2 | Denmark | 7.62 | £4,838 |
| 3 | Switzerland | 7.57 | £4,838 |
| 4 | Netherlands | 7.46 | £3,198 |
| 5 | Norway | 7.39 | £4,428 |
| 6 | Sweden | 7.36 | £3,526 |
| 7 | Luxembourg | 7.32 | £3,690 |
| 8 | New Zealand | 7.28 | £4,346 |
| 9 | Austria | 7.27 | £2,624 |
| 10 | Australia | 7.18 | £3,854 |
Here are some findings that might be of interest:
- Finland is the happiest country in the world, with a 7.80 total score and an average monthly salary of £3,690.
- Denmark (7.62) and Switzerland (7.57) follow in second and third place respectively, where salaries are the highest in the world at an average of £4,838 per month.
- Australia closes the top 10 ranking with a 7.18 happiness score and an average income of £3,854 per month.
With this in mind, every company should be aware of their employees’ state of health and happiness at the workplace. WriteWell’s Director Christina Bunce talks about group writing as an effective tool to detect if employees are happy or not:
“Having worked in the health service I’ve seen how mental wellbeing impacts on physical health. The mind-body connection is now accepted as real – poor mental wellbeing can often present as physical symptoms. It’s not some hippy myth.
You cannot overestimate how debilitating it can be for someone to be unable to articulate how they feel about how they’re suffering. Expressive writing not only lets people articulate that, it also draws out a skill, and lets them produce something. It can give a sense of regaining control.
It’s worth remembering that for a lot of us, feeling anxious or depressed brings feelings of shame. Why can’t we be sunny, confident people like those around us? Will being depressed affect our work prospects? These are all questions people ask themselves. Expressive writing in groups can help to dispel that.”
Help keep news FREE for our readers
Supporting your local community newspaper/online news outlet is crucial now more than ever. If you believe in independent journalism, then consider making a valuable contribution by making a one-time or monthly donation. We operate in rural areas where providing unbiased news can be challenging. Read More About Supporting The West Wales Chronicle
