Mexicans are not very impressed with life - but Canadians sure are

The Spanish word bienstar is best translated into English as “well being” – that is, a sense of well being, or of generally feeling good about how things are going, especially in your own life. The issue is highly subjective, of course, and is generally based upon multiple factors, not the least of which are economic ones.

Apparently, in Mexico, bienstar is quite low. In fact, Mexicans have one of the lowest levels of personal contentment anywhere in the world.

That conclusion was presented in a report issued by an international agency, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OCDE), which conducted a worldwide survey this year.

At the top of the contentment list, in order, are Australia, Canada, Sweden, New Zealand, Norway, Denmark, the United States, Switzerland, Finland and Holland.

Hungary, Portugal, Estonia, Chile, and México all ranked low. Turkey bottomed out the list. I have to admit that I was quite surprised by Chile’s low ranking. I thought its economy was booming, and surely the country is very safe – at least compared to México. But all those fantastic local wines, which I hope to sample in person one of these days, apparently aren’t giving people the boost they need.

The survey contained the following “satisfaction” categories: income and personal wealth; job satisfaction; home contentment (as in one’s house); health; a reasonable balance between work and personal/social life; level of education attained; quality of personal relationships; participation in civic and/or governmental affairs; quality of the local natural environment (including the presence or absence of pollution in one’s community); sense of personal security; and overall subjective perception of “well being.”

Mexican respondents graded themselves low on personal security – no surprise there – and also in the categories of education attained, income and enjoyment of a reasonable balance between work and personal/social life. But they gave themselves high marks for job satisfaction. Mexicans like their jobs, you might say, they just wished they earned more for doing them. No doubt many people in many countries feel more or less the same way.

Spaniards, by the way, reported themselves very dissatisfied in the jobs category. Considering the country has an unemployment rate of 20%+, and is racked with long term sovereign debt, that does not surprise me.

OCDE administered the survey in May 2011.

Want to know how Canadians feel about the Yucatán? Click here.