Latvians’ Happiness Index hits highest point yet

RIGA - Latvians’ Happiness Index has risen to its highest point ever this year, a survey by SKDS pollster shows.

In January, respondents were asked if they felt happy on the whole. The Happiness Index was calculated based on answers in the scale of four points: happy, rather happy, rather unhappy, unhappy.

The Happiness Index can be in the range from minus 100 to plus 100.

The Happiness Index drawn up based on the January poll hit plus 41.9 points, the highest figure ever recorded in Latvia. Over the past year, the index rose by 2.2 points.

Happiness surveys of past years show that Latvians felt least happy in the early 2000s. In 2001, for instance, the Happiness Index plummeted to just plus 5.5 points. The Happiness Index dropped also during the economic crisis. In 2010, its value was down to plus 15.5 points.