Once again Costa Rica has been determined the Happiest Planet on Earth in the annual Happy Planet Index (H.P.I.) by the New Economic Foundation. The study ranks countries in terms of life expectancy, the amount of well being experienced by the local population, and environmental impact. Costa Rica has been in the top 3 since the formation of the first H.P.I. in 2006 and has been #1 for the past 2 years. No wonder so many people come from all over the world to experience the “Pura Vida” or “Pure Life” and immerse themselves in nature and stunningly beautiful scenery. The top 10 results for 2012 are as follows:
2012 Happy Planet Index
|
Country |
H.P.I. |
Experienced Well-being |
Life Expectancy |
Ecological Footprint |
|
64 |
7.3 |
79.3 |
2.5 |
|
|
60.4 |
5.8 |
75.2 |
1.4 |
|
|
59.8 |
6.4 |
73.7 |
1.8 |
|
|
59.3 |
6.5 |
76.1 |
2.1 |
|
|
58.9 |
6.7 |
72.2 |
2.0 |
|
|
58.5 |
6.2 |
73.1 |
1.7 |
|
|
57.8 |
7.3 |
76.1 |
3.0 |
|
|
57.1 |
5.7 |
74.0 |
1.6 |
|
|
56.9 |
7.5 |
74.4 |
3.0 |
|
|
56.9 |
6.3 |
71.2 |
1.8 |
*New Economics Foundation’s annual Happy Planet Index (HPI) 2012
Costa Rica constantly scores high in the H.P.I. rankings for many reasons including high life expectancy, forward thinking in terms of environmental protection, genuinely happy local people, and it is a peaceful country with no military. Life expectancy in Costa Rica is among some of the longest in the World and it was determined to be a “Blue Zone” country by Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN. The country also actively protects its environment with 25% of its land mass dedicated to reserves or National Parks. Plus Costa Rica has a goal to be the World’s first carbon neutral country by 2025. The local people are very happy and you can see this walking down the street when they smile or nod at you for no particular reason. Try smiling at someone as you walk down the streets of New York City and see if they respond so kindly. Another contributing factor is that Costa Rica abolished its military in 1949 and remains neutral in global conflicts, thus its nickname the Switzerland of Central America.
So come see why Costa Rica is the Happiest Place on Earth and enjoy the “Pura Vida” in paradise! If you are interested in purchasing a property, home, or just renting long term to try out the retirement lifestyle in Costa Rica, contact me at Dominical Property for more information.
