Wealthy Singapore - but are they happy?
Below is the CIA’s list of the Top 10 Wealthiest Nations in Asia. No surprise that Las Islas isn’t on the list but it was depressing to see that Malaysia, our former ‘not so successful’ neighbor (when I was a kid), is now at number 8. It also says something that when I google’d photos of Malaysia, not one had a shanty, a mountain of garbage, or a half-dressed child. But all is not lost, the Philippines stands at number 13, just behind China and ahead of Kazakhstan(Borat’s home). Not bad, at least we’re still ahead of Indonesia!
Top 10 List of the Wealthiest Countries in Asia (c/o CIA World Factbook, rank based on GDP per capita)
- Singapore – 27,800
- Japan – 23,400
- Hong Kong – 23,100
- Macau – 17,500
- Brunei – 17,400
- Taiwan – 16,100
- South Korea – 13,300
- Malaysia – 10,700
- Thailand – 6,400
- Turkey – 6,200
Despite not making the Top 10 of Asia’s Wealthiest, the Philippines apparently ranks 14th out of 143 nations the in the New Economic Foundation’s Ranking of the World’s Happiest Places. The basis for ranking being:
- life expectancy (ours is 71 years)
- people’s happiness with their lives (55% of Filipinos are apparently thrilled with theirs)
- and environmental impact (hmm…)
Costa Rica was crowned the happiest and greenest place on earth (take that, Disneyland). The highest ranked Western nation is the Netherlands at 43, with the US at 114. So yay to South America and to us: Viva and Mabuhay! Let’s dance!
Happy Filipinos - sayaw nalang tayo!
Oh, you just know why they’re so happy in the Netherlands.
Ha ha, hmm.. you’re right. They’re happily snacking and getting cotton mouth ; )
Filipinos are happy people despite of trials in our lives, because we believed that GOD will always be there for us. for every setbacks we believed that God prepares a comeback.
stay happy.
Yes, we’re just happy happy people. The land of a thousand smiles : )
phillipines is the happiest and beautiful country in asia:)
There’s no place like the Philippines….come and discover our place:)