Correct Success: Denmark among world’s happiest countries, but isn’t No. 1

The declare: Denmark is ranked the happiest nation on this planet; 33 hours work in every week, $20 minimal wages, free college, medical and little one care

Yearly forward of the United Nations’ World Happiness Day, on March 20, a report is launched that ranks 156 nations on their happiness based mostly on revenue, life expectancy, freedom, social assist, belief and generosity.

In line with one social media put up, Denmark has turned up on the high of record.

“Denmark is ranked because the happiest nation on this planet with 33 hours work in every week, $20 minimal wages, free universities and medical care, free little one care and low stage of Corruption,” reads a Dec. 30 Fb put up to the group Mysterious Details. The person who posted it didn’t have a approach to be contacted.

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Nordic nations ranked excessive in experiences, however Denmark is not first now

This yr, the Gallup 2020 World Happiness Report rated Finland because the world’s happiest nation for the third yr in a row, with Denmark in second and Switzerland third.

The report charges the nations based mostly on completely different points of social atmosphere, resembling having somebody to rely on, having a way of freedom to make key life selections, generosity and belief.

Thought of dangers are ill-health, discrimination, low revenue, unemployment, separation, divorce or widowhood and security on the street. The “happiness prices of those dangers are very massive,” in accordance with the report.

The meme offers no supply of knowledge or date; it’s potential the primary declare might have been true on the time the meme was created, as Denmark has been beforehand ranked first in World Happiness Reviews.

A search of the textual content included within the put up leads to a weblog put up with an nearly an identical model of the declare from 2016, a yr when Denmark was ranked first. Denmark additionally made the highest of the record in 2012 and 2013.

Nordic nations, together with Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland, have appeared on the highest 10 of the World Happiness Report because it began publishing its annual rankings in 2012. In 2017, 2018 and 2019, Nordic nations occupied the highest three spots.

The report discovered that Nordic residents are exceptionally happy with their lives due to dependable and intensive welfare advantages, low corruption, well-functioning democracy and state establishments and small inhabitants.

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Work hours, college, medical and little one care

Past total happiness, the put up makes claims — some true — about why Danes could be so glad.

Whereas the put up states a mean workweek in Denmark is 33 hours, a full-time workweek in Denmark is often 37 hours distributed over 5 days, in accordance with the town of Copenhagen. It/ notes that workweeks could be longer for these in a managerial place or self-employed.

Staying additional hours is discouraged, and most staff go away the workplace round four p.m. to select up their youngsters and start getting ready for dinner, in accordance with the official web site of Denmark. Within the final weeks of July, workplaces are shut down as Danes take day off to take pleasure in a brief summer season.

The put up states the nation’s minimal wage is $20 an hour. However Denmark lacks a federally mandated minimal wage, in accordance with Investopedia. Nevertheless, commerce unions work to make sure that employees are paid an affordable fee and attempt to hold the common minimal wage at $20 per hour. As of 2020, minimal wages within the nation hover round $16.60 per hour, in accordance with Examine In Value.

Education is basically free, because the put up claims. Greater training in Denmark is free for college kids from the European Union or European College Affiliation and for college kids in change packages, in accordance with the Danish Company for Greater Training and Science. Training can be free for college kids who’ve a everlasting residence, a brief residence with risk of acquiring everlasting residence or a resident allow.

In Denmark, the well being care system is financed by way of an revenue tax of 8% and offers common entry to residents and authorized residents, USA TODAY reported. So whereas the put up states medical care is free, it lacks the context that taxpayers do cowl the fee.

The general public little one care system in Denmark is predicated on {a partially} free system, and a few day care establishments have ready lists. Nevertheless, most assure a spot for kids from the age of 1, in accordance with Work in Denmark. The kid care amenities obtain monetary assist from the state and probably the most payable out of pocket quantity by dad and mom is 30% of the fee. Youngster care isn’t free, as claimed.

The rationale Denmark can afford to offer these providers is as a result of it has one of many highest tax charges on this planet, with the common Dane paying a complete of 45% in revenue taxes, in accordance with BBC. The truth is, most Scandinavian nations provide larger training, little one and medical care, and parental go away because of their excessive ranges of taxation. In 2018, Denmark’s tax-to-GDP ratio was 44.9%, Norway’s was 39% and Sweden’s 43.9%, which compares to a ratio of 24.3% within the U.S., in accordance with the Tax Basis.

The put up is correct in claiming that Denmark has low corruption. The 2016 Corruption Perceptions Index ranked Denmark because the least corrupt nation on this planet for the fifth yr in a row because of its diploma of press freedom, entry to data, impartial judicial programs and powerful requirements of integrity for public officers.

In 2018, New Zealand and Denmark have been each ranked because the least corrupt, in accordance with World Inhabitants Overview, which notes that there isn’t any precise approach to measure corruption however many use the Corruption Perceptions Index revealed by Transparency Worldwide.

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Our ruling: Partly False

The declare that Denmark is ranked the happiest nation on this planet because of its brief workweeks, excessive minimal wage, and free college and well being and little one care is rated PARTLY FALSE, based mostly on our analysis. Finland has been ranked the happiest nation on this planet for the final three consecutive years, with Denmark holding a spot within the high three. Denmark additionally has 37-hour workweeks, not 33, and there’s no minimal wage. Companies of upper training, little one and medical care and parental go away can be found because of their excessive ranges of taxation; they don’t seem to be supplied without cost.

Our fact-check sources:

World Happiness Report, March 20, “Cities and Happiness: A International Rating and Evaluation”
World Happiness Report, March 20, “The Nordic Exceptionalism: What Explains Why the Nordic International locations Are Continuously Among the many Happiest within the World”
World Happiness Report 2016
World Happiness Report 2012
World Happiness Report 2013
World Happiness Report 2015
Social Panic, March 17, 2016, “DENMARK FAIRY TALES: IS DENMARK THE HAPPIEST COUNTRY BECAUSE OF THIS? NO.”
Metropolis of Copenhagen, “What number of hours make up a normal working week?”
Denmark.dk, Work-life stability
Investopedia, April 9, 5 Developed International locations with out Minimal Wages
Examine in Value, Feb. 10, Common and Minimal Wage in Copenhagen, Denmark
Studyindenmark.dk, Tuition Charges & Scholarships
USA TODAY, April 11, 2019, “U.S. leads amongst nations that spend probably the most on public well being care”
Workindenmark.dk, Childcare in Denmark
BBC, Dec. 30, 2016, “Can Denmark’s beneficiant childcare system survive?”
Tax Basis, Feb. 24, “Insights into the Tax Programs of Scandinavian International locations”
Corruption Perceptions Index 2016
World Inhabitants Overview, Least Corrupt International locations 2020