Why is Costa Rica the Happiest Country in the World??

Firstly, I'd just like to establish why there has been such a gap between this post and my last; although my stay in Palmares, Costa Rica was initially intended for one month I ended up staying for three – further credit to the argument that Costa Rica is the happiest country in the world!!!

The extra time gave me space to think, investigate and observe why I believe Costa Ricans, found by the British organization The New Economics Foundation in the report; 'The Happy Planet Index 2.0: Why good lives don't have to cost the earth', are the happiest people in the world;

Firstly their strong faith: Costa Rica is a predominantly Catholic country, with more than 90% of Costa Ricans supporting the Catholic faith and nearly every town home to its own church. In 2008 research presented at the Royal Economic Society’s conference claimed people who believe in God become happier the more they go to church and pray and were better able to cope with life’s disappointments. (Petre, J. Daily Telegraph; 18 March 2008). I was lucky enough to spend Christmas in Costa Rica and witnessed their strong faith and its positive effects first hand;

Out of the 143 nations surveyed in the study, I was not surprised to discover that the UK and USA came way down the list, coming74th and 114th respectively.

Unlike the UK and the US, where Christmas seems to be more about overspending and maxing out credit cards; they still celebrate the traditional meaning of Christmas. In my time in Costa Rica I attended a nativity display and church ceremony held in the back garden of some relatives of my homestay family. Featuring live music, songs and prayers the ceremony finished with a drink of Rompope and a traditional Costa Rican dish, while family members greeted each other with hugs and kisses and chatted about everyday events. I found it uplifting how extended family members (about 40 in total) came together at this special time of year, not only to share their faith but also to celebrate being family and community. Compared to Britain, a predominately secular country where families are often separated by long distances and most people don’t know the names of their neighbours, the positive effects of strong faith and community ties were obvious.

I know religion can’t be the only reason behind Costa Rica’s happiness. Religion itself has always been a contentious subject that throughout history has been taken into the wrong hands and used for the wrong reasons often resulting in conflict and war. Many deeply religious countries spring to mind; i.e. Northern and Southern Ireland, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Their happiness could come from the general mindset of the Costa Rican people which is that of ‘PURA VIDA’ (meaning Pure Life); they believe in enjoying each day and although taking time to plan for the future is as important to them as it is to us, they don’t allow stress to stop them from enjoying the moment. They have a live-for-today and no te preocupades ‘don’t worry’ mindset.

As people, Costa Ricans are generally polite and have a non-confrontational attitude and this peaceful approach also reflects the policies of the Costa Rican establishment. As a democratic Republic, Costa Rica has had no military since 1949, and has had 59 years of uninterrupted democracy. Furthermore, it is the only Latin American country included in the list of ‘the world’s 22 older democracies’ since at least 1950. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_Rica)

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the UK and USA came near the bottom of the Happiest Country list as they are both known for their militaries and involvement in wars. America is known for its trigger happy inhabitants and the UK is encountering a burgeoning problem with teenage violence. Rather than investing in a military, England could spend more money on doing something positive, such as preventing Global Warming; The Costa Rican government has announced plans to become carbon neutral by 2030;

“Costa Rica intends to become the first carbon neutral country by 2030. One part of their strategy is massive. Already they have recovered the tree cover from 20 % to 50%.” (Aronson, Bill, Enterprise Designer: The Universal Key to Understanding any Business, 2008,)

And the beautiful lush greenery that can be seen from almost every angle was one of my favourite things about Costa Rica. On my bus rides to the orphanage I’d look out the window to see mountains of green, compared to my bus ride in England where I see buildings, houses and factories, it is easy to see how environment can have a strong impact on the human psyche . Evolutionary Psychology suggests that sights of mass greenery are better for the human psychology because it taps into our primordial desire to find fertile land for growing crops. With this primordial instinct being satisfied daily there is always a reason to smile in Costa Rica. Costa Ricans even live longer than the average Brit *;

“In Costa Rica, the life expectation is in 78,5 years-old, the 85% of the Costa Rican interviewers said that they are happy and satisfy with their lives, and the country is very close to reach the balance between what is consumed and what the natural resources offer.” (Mars, N. founder of the report by The New Economics Foundation)

Health and diet have a big impact on life expectancy and I found the Costa Rican diet to be extremely fresh as they rely on their own resources by growing vegetables and fruit in their back yards. As opposed to my diet in the UK which was made up of mainly packet meals and fast food. Mealtimes also seem to hold more significance there too and always held with the family. My home stay mother cooked me three meals a day and as my Spanish improved I enjoyed chatting with my family. Most main meals came with the traditional Costa Rican Gallo Pinto (black beans and rice) and were often served with soups and stews and carne (steak). Examples of the ingredients which could be found in my back garden include papaya, banana, pineapple, mangoes, guayaba which my homestay mother blended into refrescos (natural drinks made with fruit and ice).

In England it’s all too easy to skip meals as we place too much emphasis on working hard and earning more. “Poco a Poco” a famous Costa Rican saying meaning “Little by Little” – as simple as it sounds it also sheds light on how to have a happier mindset. If we stopped putting too much pressure on ourselves and spent more time relaxing we could think about the things that are truly important in this life; family, friends and good times. PURA VIDA.

Which reminds of a quote written on the wall in Palmares:

“Si todo lo que tienes es solo Adornos – que pena – que tu bases la vida en solo material nada especial se puede comprar entonces ¿con que te quedas?” (Cultera Profetica )… If all you have is adornments – what a shame – that your basis in life is only material – there’s nothing special you can buy, so then, what do you have left…

From my personal experience, the two and a half months I spent in Costa Rica were some of the happiest times of my life. Working with the children at the orphanage was such an emotionally gratifying job and spending time in Palmares a community that opened its arms to me like I was part of their family. But most of all I will never forget the altruistic love and generosity shown to me by my homestay family. They opened my eyes to just how bighearted and caring people can really be and I believe it is people like them who form the backbone and make Costa Rica the country that it is: the happiest Country in the world!

X Dedicated to Luna ♥ mi pequenita perrita. ♥ X

*The average British female lives until 79.3 years - the average Costa Rican female lives until 81. 2 years.

P.S Please let me know if you think there are any areas you would like to know more about or you feel I could do with elaborating on...

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