Icelanders are no longer among the world’s happiest people, according to a new report on the issue, authored by three American economists. Danes currently top the world happiness index and all of the Nordic nations, apart from Iceland, are in the top ten.

Protests after the banking collapse in 2008. Photo by Geir Ólafsson.

In the years before and immediately after the banking collapse in 2008, Iceland placed near the top in comparable indexes. However, this year, Iceland has plummeted to 20th place, visir.is reports.

After Denmark, Finland places second on the happiness index and Norway third, followed by the Netherlands and Canada. The world’s least happiest nations are Togo, Benin, Sierra Leone and Burundi.

The report states that economic growth is not the key, but rather that individual freedom and faith in authorities are the deciding factors when it comes to happiness.

Incidentally, according to a recent survey by Capacent Gallup, the government of Iceland is currently supported by only 28 percent of voters.

Support for the government has only had a lower rating on one occasion, in early 2009 when the public demanded that the government of Geir H. Haarde step down; the Independence Party-Social Democrat coalition was terminated shortly afterwards.

Notably, in January this year, a survey by Capacent Gallup indicated that Icelanders were indeed generally content with their lives compared to many other nations.

Click here to read more about the results of the survey.

ESA