Happiness measured by direct questioning. Mean values of happiness are dramatically different among different societies in the world.
Richard Layer lists six factors that are responsible for 80 percent of the variability in mean levels of happiness across different countries. These are divorce rates, unemployment rate, level of trust, membership in non-religious organizations, quality of government and fraction believing in god. Similarly, the studies of Economist intelligence unit in their long-term research on quality of life list the same set of factors mentioned by Richard Layard, plus general health, material wellbeing, and geographical environment. Happiness is systematically higher in nations that combine a good material standard of living with good governance, freedom and a climate of tolerance and that indicators of such qualities are responsible for 75 percent of variability.
