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Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The latest findings by the London-based Centre for New Economics, best known for its 2006 Happy Planet Index, show the Irish coming in first for happiness and the Swiss second, in Europe, with the UK in a mediocre 13th place out of 22 countries studied, while France hovers near the bottom. The findings were based on data from the European Social Survey of 40,000-plus people in 2006-07, before the impact of the global economic downturn. They are part of a report published 24 January, “National Accounts of Well-being: bringing real wealth onto the balance sheet.” The group has also created a website for its national accounts work.

Cozy indoors, spectacular outdoors: happiness factors?

The Swiss have one of the highest senses of well-being in Europe, according to the report, because the scores for personal and social well-being are both high. Its ranks fourth in Europe in terms of well-being at work. It scores a little lower than first-place Denmark in all categories except for self-esteem and vitality, where Switzerland is higher.

Happiness studies are not new. Journalist Eric Weiner, international correspondent for National Public Radio for 10 years, in early 2008 told CNN that Switzerland was one of his favourite happiness countries because things like trains operating on time and the high level of chocolate consumption seemed to add to the nation’s contentedness. His measures were clearly subjective, for his book The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World. Other authors have pursued the source of happiness, seeking to understand the value of it.

The National Accounts of Well-being takes the desire to understand how happiness works to another level by measuring 8 groups of indicators that fall into three categories, social well-being, personal well-being and well-being at work. It argues that measuring a country’s success by its GDP gives only a partial picture of the reality. The accounts should be used by national policy-makers, its authors argue.

“The second world war led to an emphasis on productivity, which led in turn to the overwhelming concentration by governments on economic national accounting indicators such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as measures of success. Yet these economic indicators offer a very narrow view of human well-being.

“While a strong and healthy economy may be desirable, it is desirable because it allows us to get on with doing the things that are really important: living happy, fulfilling lives. Modern society is organized around the core assumption of classical economists that continual economic growth is desirable because it delivers improved human well-being. But evidence shows this is only true to a limited extent.”

Blue skies and scenery were not measured, but could play a role

The self-described “think and do tank” works in three fields: well-being, ghost and clone towns in Britain and “real economics.”

The 68-page report can be downloaded from the National Accounts web site.

Related: Guardian and BBC stories on how the UK fares.