In 2016, Denmark was ranked as the happiest nation globally, even though it is dark for 16 hours a day in midwinter.

The annual World Happiness Report assesses criteria such as per capita income, life expectancy, people's freedom to make life decisions, generosity, social support, ...

The Danes focus on the small things that really matter, such as quality time with friends and family, and enjoying the good things in life. Hygge (pronounced 'hooga') is translated as 'cosiness', but Danes argue it is more than that. It is togetherness and relaxation, an indulgen...

There are three different types of happiness measures:

1. How we experience positive emotions.
2. How we experience negative emotions.
3. Life evaluations (how happy we are with our lives as a whole.)

Brain scans show that volunteers who rated highly on

• Researchers analysed the DNA of people around the world and found three genetic variants for happiness. Two of the variants are linked with differences in the symptoms of depression.
• Another paper suggests that the DNA of people who regard themselves as happy is more likely to cont...