The map above was compiled by Cambridge University Gates scholar Alex Davies, who determined levels of happiness from ‘looking at high-level correlations between words and emoticons’ in tweets originating in different counties. Language models were then created to assess the distribution of words and icons associated with happiness and unhappiness.

Ireland (ranked 21) doesn’t come out terribly well. Then again, attempting to determine the emotional state of a nation via Twitter is what’s known in scientific circles as very, very silly.

Highlights of the research are the ‘happy’ and ‘sad’ terms defined for each region. That, and the fact that a Cambridge Gates Scholar can’t spell the word ‘happiness’.

The Twitter World Happiness Map

Germans Top table of Happiest Tweets (Cambridge Research News)

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