If you are thinking about a country to buy property in, you might want to take notice of a recently published survey about the best places to live in the world.

Adrian White, an analytic social psychologist at the University of Leceister's School of Psychology, analysed the data published by UNESCO, the CIA, the New Economics Foundation, the WHO, the Veenhoven Database, the Latinbarometer, the Afrobarometer, and the UNHDR and has designed the first world map of happiness.

Participants in the various studies were asked questions related to happiness and satisfaction with life. The analysis is based on the findings of over 100 different studies around the world, which questioned 80,000 people worldwide.

The research team at the university says measures used are very reliable in predicting health and welfare outcomes.

The researchers have argued regular testing as a collaboration between academics in different countries would enable us to track changes in happiness and what events may cause that.

Adrian White said: "There is increasing political interest in using measures of happiness as a national indicator in conjunction with measures of wealth. A recent BBC survey found 81 per cent of the population think the Government should focus on making us happier rather than wealthier.

The University of Leicester used the research to compile a list of the happiest countries.

The top ten: 1. Denmark 2. Switzerland 3. Austria 4. Iceland 5. The Bahamas 6. Finland 7. Sweden 8. Bhutan 9. Brunei 10. Canada The UK came 41st way below the US which came 23rd.