The Happy American

Americans are generally happier with their lives and more optimistic about their future than are Europeans, according to a new Harris Poll. The poll was based on a recent Eurobarometer survey conducted for the European Union in fifteen countries, with Americans asked some of the same questions.

Generally, Americans are much more satisfied with their lives than Europeans, much more likely to believe that their lives have improved and much more likely to expect their personal situations will improve.

57% of Americans are very satisfied with their lives, compared to an average of 21% in Europe. Forty-nine percent of Americans think that their lives have improved in the last five years compared to 36% of Europeans, whilst 63% expect their personal situation will improve in the next five years compared to only 40% in Europe. However, Europe is not at all homogenous and the mood varies widely from country to country.

The proportions of Europeans who are very satisfied with their lives vary from 64% in Denmark (even higher than the 57% in the U.S.A.), 45% in the Netherlands and 39% in Luxembourg to only 6% in Portugal, 11% in Greece and 14% in France.

The largest proportions of people who feel that their lives have improved in the last five years are found in Ireland (54%) - whose economy has been booming for most of the last decade - and Sweden (50%), compared to 49% in the U.S. Relatively large proportions in Denmark (47%), the Netherlands (47%) and the United Kingdom (46%) also report their lives have become better. At the other end of the scale, only 23% of adults in Germany, 26% in Belgium, and 28% in Austria think their lives have improved.

Not even the most optimistic European country (Spain) is as optimistic as America, and most countries in Europe are much less optimistic than Spain is. The 63% of American adults who expect their lives will improve in the next five years compares to 57% of Spaniards, 53% of Italians and 51% of Irish who expect the same. At the other end of the spectrum, only 20% of Germans, 27% of Austrians, and 31% of Belgians expect their personal situations will get better.

Within Europe, there is a clear pattern with some countries, mostly in Northern Europe, giving generally upbeat and positive responses, while other countries, particularly Germany and the Mediterranean countries, indicating they are much less happy or optimistic.

Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, the U.K. and Ireland score better than average on all questions. Germany does poorly on all three questions and scores worst of all on the last five years and the next five years.

Greece and Portugal have very low life satisfaction and are below average on the last five years but are close to the European average on optimism for the next five years. Spaniards are near the bottom on life satisfaction but are also the most optimistic people.

This Harris Poll was conducted by telephone among a nationwide cross section of 1,010 adults between April 10 and 15, 2003. The European Commission conducted the Eurobarometer 57 survey in the spring of 2002 with 1,000 or more in each country, except in Luxembourg where 600 people were surveyed.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.

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