We’re the sixth happiest - and that’s no joke

HAPPINESS polls could be the latest tool employed by governments to decide on the best time to deliver good and bad news to the public.

Instead of opinion polls concentrating on the performance of politicians and political parties, people are more likely to be asked about the satisfaction ratings they apply to their own lives.

The results could dictate when elections are scheduled, when tax hikes are announced and where and when State grants and exchequer funds are targeted, according to researcher Andrew Oswald in his paper, The Macroeconomics of Happiness.