The United Arab Emirates ranked as the 14th happiest nation in the world in last year’s Happiness Index by the United Nations. Now a new survey reveals how many of the people here describe themselves as happy, and more importantly, why. 84% of UAE residents are happy and the majority of them admit it’s the standard of life that keeps them in the country.
Indeed, people living in the UAE are among the happiest in the world and the latest survey by WhichSchoolAdvisor, released today, is here to prove it. Many people are complaining about the rising rents and the increasing cost of life, but it turns out the majority of residents are actually satisfied with where and how they live. 84.09% of residents across the country are happy, with 61.52% saying they feel happy and 22.57% describing themselves as “very happy”. 14% of the respondents say they are not happy and only 1.91% of them – very unhappy. But what exactly makes people happy? Is it the weather, the modern infrastructure, or the local culture and the more traditional community? Well, these aren’t big factors, according to the results.
Payment and career opportunities bring the most people to the country – indeed, with the majority of population expatriates (around 87%), one would wonder why the UAE is such a magnet for workers. Salaries are important, but are they enough to keep you here? Asked to identify the single biggest thing that keep residents in the country, three factors pop up – the standard of life, keeping 24.8% of the people, the career opportunities (19.8%), and the payment (14.4%). The lack of taxes and crime, as well as the kids’ quality of life is also mentioned, while nearly 6% of the people admit they are just happy here. However, around 7% say that their alternative is worse.
Owning an apartment or house seems to be very important to residents – nearly 90% of them say it makes them happier. Of course, it makes sense because the biggest worry for people turns out to be the constant hike of rents. 28.7% of the people identify it as their biggest problem, while 24.4% say it’s the job insecurity, followed by insufficient money and poor legal protection.
Where you live is also essential to you satisfaction of life. The survey was conducted among 3,400 residents mostly living in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. The happiest people live in Abu Dhabi, followed by Dubai and Sharjah and interestingly, those based in the capital are earning the most. In fact, contrary to the belief that money can’t buy you happiness, levels of satisfaction increase with the rise of income in the UAE. People reporting a household income of AED 100,000 to 150,000 are the happiest, but those even richer seem to be bothered by various factors.
The survey finds several interesting facts about the richer part of society. The more you earn, the more you feel you can plan your life in the long term. And the more you earn, the more you save – this is one of the biggest factors for long-term financial security. In addition, people with high income are more likely to have children, while those earning less aren’t living with their families and kids. And age completes the profile of the rich people – nearly 60% of the rich are 45 and above, while 80% of those receiving the least are under the age of 45.
Gender and nationality also matter when it comes to happiness in the UAE. British women are most likely to be happy. Actually, women are generally happier than men – 85.7% of females are happy, compared to 80.5% of males. When it comes to origin, Britons are the happiest nation in the country, followed closely by Filipinos. Pakistanis and Americans are the least happy people in the survey.
Overall, people in the country are happy and the majority of them enjoy a great balance between work and personal life. Maybe this is the key to happiness. Yes, money matters, but family is important, too. It’s all about attitude – some people are just happy for no particular reason, while others are never satisfied, no matter of their achievements, financial and social status.
