You can be on Entrepreneur’s cover!

This Country Has the Happiest Employees in the World A recent survey reveals the happiest and least happiest countries polled from workers of the world's 15 largest economies.

By Rose Leadem

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Shutterstock.com

Are you happy at work? If you live in India, Mexico or the U.S., signs point to yes. But that doesn't mean happiness at work isn't more widespread. In fact, a recent study shows that 71 percent of surveyed employees across the world feel positive about their well-being at work.

Edenred's Annual Wellbeing Barometer surveyed 14,400 workers around the world to uncover surprising results on people's happiness at work. Who knew most of us actually enjoy coming to the office?

According to the survey, here's a list of countries ranked most to least happy at work:

  1. India

  2. Mexico

  3. U.S.

  4. Chile

  5. Brazil

  6. Germany

  7. U.K.

  8. China

  9. Poland

  10. Belgium

  11. Spain

  12. France

  13. Turkey

  14. Italy

  15. Japan

India takes the lead with the happiest employees, as findings reveal that nearly 88 percent agreed to being happy at work. North and South American countries follow closely behind India, followed by Europe and China. Japan comes in last with a shocking 44 percent happiness rate.

But how is happiness for the survey determined? To measure well-being, the study took into account a mix of three factors: environment, appreciation and emotion.The importance of each of these well-being "pillars" varied from country to country.

In Japan, Turkey, China, Italy and Poland, well-being was most related to environmental factors such as being able to count on your colleagues for support and having a clear idea of job expectations. For India, Mexico, Brazil and Chile, emotional factors such as a stimulating workplace, confidence in your future and an interesting job controlled happiness.

Employees in mature economies held more balanced scores: the U.S., the U.K. and Spain lack emotion, and France, Germany and Belgium lack appreciation.

So what really drives well-being at work? Although it's difficult to pinpoint exactly what makes Indian workers 11 percent more happier than those in the U.S., the survey reveals that HR policies in skills and career management are key drivers to well-being at work.

Rose Leadem is a freelance writer for Entrepreneur.com. 

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Side Hustle

I Started a Semi-Passive Side Hustle That Earns $33,000 a Week on Amazon: 'Selling There Is a No-Brainer'

Dr. Jenny Woo wanted to create a product that would help people connect, and it turned out to be a lucrative one.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

'Wildly Inappropriate': Woman Says She Was Denied a Job Because She Didn't Wear Makeup During the Interview

Melissa Weaver was applying for a VP of HR job at a tech company via video.

Fundraising

Avoid These 9 Pitch Deck Mistakes When Asking Others For Money

Crafting an efficient pitch deck requires serious effort, but at least it's not wandering in the dark since certain rules are shaped by decades of relationships between startups and investors.