Romanians are happier than French, Spaniards and Italians and almost as happy as the Germans and the Brits, a Eurostat survey shows.

People across the European Union had to answer one “simple” question: “Overall, how satisfied are you with your life these days?”

On a scale from 0 (“not satisfied at all”) to 10 (“fully satisfied”), the Romanians’ average level of satisfaction was 7.2, which is higher than the EU average of 7.1, according to Eurostat data reflecting a survey that took place in 2013.

The statistic shows that Romanians are happier than the French (7.0 average life satisfaction), Spaniards (6.9) and Italians (6.7). The average level of satisfaction in Germany and the UK, two of Europe’s biggest economies, was 7.3.

The happiest Europeans live in Denmark, Sweden and Finland, where the average overall life satisfaction index is 8.0, followed by those in the Netherlands and Austria (both 7.8).

At the opposite end of the scale, the most miserable Europeans residents are in Bulgaria, with an average life satisfaction of 4.8, followed by Greece, Cyprus, Hungary and Portugal (6.2).

Life satisfaction in the EU was highest in 2013 among young people (ages 16-24), with an average of 7.6 out of 10.

Romanian teenagers rank fifth in the EU with an average life satisfaction of 8.0. Only the Austrians (8.4), Finns (8.2), Danes and Poles (both 8.1) are happier.

The life satisfaction in Romania is also higher than the European average for the 25-34 and 35-49 age groups, but goes down for people over 50. Romanian elders (over 75) have an average life satisfaction of 6.2, way under the EU average of 6.8.

Life satisfaction represents how a respondent evaluates or appraises his or her life taken as a whole. It has a prominent role as it can be regarded as a key indicator of subjective well-being, according to Eurostat which released this statistic to celebrate the International Day of Happiness, on March 20.

editor@romania-insider.com