In 2017, Norway was voted the happiest country on earth by the World Happiness Report. The Scandinavian nation had ranked fourth in the previous two years but jumped three spots last year to take the crown from their fellow Scandinavian country, Denmark. To find out why it is the happiest country on the planet, CNN’s Vanessa Yurkevich spoke to Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway back last March.
Yurkevich asked if Norway “was that happy all the time?” To which the Crown Princess responded, “I think Norwegians are quite happy, but I think it is for a lot of different reasons than most people would think. Obviously, having a stable economy, the fact that your kids’ schooling is free, the fact that you have access to healthcare when you need it, the fact that you have a social system that will take care of you if you get sick, or if you’re not able to work for other reasons..people need to feel safe. If you don’t feel safe, you aren’t happy, and you aren’t able to take care of your family.”
Crown Prince Haakon then added his opinion, “We do have our challenges and issues in Norway, as well…There’s a lot of things to still work on, but we are fortunate.”
They were then asked if there were any secrets to being happy that they would want to share. Mette-Marit highlighted the love of nature that Norwegians have and how they enjoy going out for walks on weekends. She said, “We love being outside in nature. If you are in a Norwegian household on Sundays…you have to go for a walk. When people come here from other places, they don’t understand that.”
The Crown Princess concluded saying, “I think that makes a difference in our lives, and that’s why we are happier.”
CNN International republished the video on their Twitter feed yesterday after they had reported comments President Trump said about welcoming Norwegian immigrants to the United States instead of those from countries like Haiti and El Salvador. He had just met Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg on Wednesday at the White House and held a joint press conference.
