The Atlantic

What the Happiest Places Have in Common

Citizens’ wellbeing is often the result of careful planning—not serendipity.
Source: Mads Claus Rasmussen / Reuters

The happiest places in the world are those where enlightened leaders shifted their focus from economic development to promoting quality of life.

“The biggest predictors of happiness are tolerance, equality, and healthy life expectancy,” Dan Buettner, a writer and the author of , said Saturday at the Spotlight Health Festival, which is cohosted by The

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