Reasons to be happy if you’re Singaporean: money, security, complaining … and what else?

Is Singapore really one of the happiest countries in the world, along with Denmark and Costa Rica? That was the conclusion drawn by National Geographic magazine in a report published late last year, which reasoned that citizens of the three nations feel secure, have a strong sense of purpose, and enjoy minimal stress and optimal joy.

In the report, The Blue Zones of Happiness, author Dan Buettner highlights each country’s distinct brand of happiness. Singapore, he writes, is in the top three because it provides citizens with “a clear, safe path to success”. Singaporeans benefit from “life satisfaction”. Their hard work is recognised and they are proud of what they have accomplished, Buettner claims.

The report has been met with scepticism, however, and even prompted a degree of soul searching among some citizens of the Lion City as to the true meaning of happiness.

Alvin Chong, founder of functional meals start-up Lembas, says the National Geographic metric was just that – a single metric that equated Singapore’s happiness merely with its citizens’ net worth. 

“Going by that metric, Singapore certainly ranks as one of the happiest countries, as a high proportion of its populace are wealthy. This includes 142,000 millionaires and 28 billionaires in a population of 5.5 million,” Chong says. 

However, he points out, happiness cannot be measured by net worth alone.