Poll finds Hungarians among saddest people in Europe

Hungarians are less happy than the European average, leaving merely the Czechs behind, results of a global happiness survey by the Dutch-American media conglomerate Nielsen Company revealed.

With ten counting as the happiest, the European average was 6.2 points while the Hungarians lagged behind with 5.6 points, tying with the Portuguese and finishing ahead of the Czechs who scored 5.4 points. The Finns came out as the happiest with 7.3 points.

The 51-country Nielsen happiness study, which polled 28,153 respondents online in May 2008, found that globally, women are happier than men in 48 of the surveyed countries. In Hungary altogether 500 Internet users were asked about their state of happiness.

Hungarians are most satisfied with their relationships and friendships with their children, parents, spouses and co-workers. They are also more satisfied with their sexual life than the European average.

Hungarians are conspicuously dissatisfied with their government, the country's economic situation and their personal financial standing. In these three categories, Hungary occupies the bottom place of the European scale.

Poor access to information seems to be another reason for sadness in Hungary, tying for the bottom place with France. Hungarians also gave the most negative answers when they were asked about their success in achieving their life goals.

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