Filipinos are ‘very happy’ according to SWS survey
THE HAPPIEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD? Perhaps not yet, but we’re getting there.
In a survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) for the first quarter of 2019, Filipinos were asked, “If you were to consider your life in general these days, how happy or unhappy would you say you are on the whole?”
An impressive 44% answered “talagang masaya” or very happy, with a reassuring 49% answering with “medyo masaya” or fairly happy. The rest responded with “hindi masyadong masaya” while a meager 1% said they weren’t happy at all: “talagang hindi masaya.”
In a December survey last year, 39% of respondents answered that they were very happy. Those who said they were fairly happy are closer to June 2018’s 50% and last December’s 48%.
The spike in ‘very happy’ is owed to a 14-point upswing in Metro Manila, 12 in Visayas, and 7 in Mindanao.
56% of college graduates marked themselves ‘very happy’ which is a 13% increase from December’s numbers. High school graduates and elementary graduates logged in 42% and 43%, respectively.
Those who answered that they were “medyo masaya” were mostly high school graduates (51%), with college graduates at 41%.
Only 3% of college graduates marked themselves as unhappy.
Satisfaction rating
When the same respondents were asked, “On the whole, are you very satisfied, fairly satisfied, not very satisfied or not at all satisfied with the life you lead?” 37% responded that they were very satisfied, or “lubos na nasisiyahan.” 53% responded with “medyo nasisiyahan.” Less than 10% marked “hindi nasisiyahan” and “lubos na hindi nasisiyahan.”
A total of 1,440 respondents were asked in the nationwide survey.
The pursuit of happiness
In a United Nations (UN) report released earlier this year, the Philippines ranked as the 69th happiest country in the world.
For the second time in two years, Finland ranked as the world’s happiest nation. Some other nations that finished in the Top 10 were Austria, Canada, New Zealand, Netherlands, and Switzerland.
by Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz / Manila Bulletin
