How many friends do you have? Depends where you live

Ireland has emerged as the nation where most people report having a friend or family member they can count on. The ranking appears in the OCED’s How’s Life 2015 report, which assesses well-being across time, in order to promote better policies for better lives.

Eleven dimensions of well-being are assessed, including people’s perception of the support of their friends and family, and the report emphasizes the power of positive social relationships for well-being. This 2014 data outlines the percentage of the population in OECD countries who report having people they can turn to in times of need.

Second place on the list goes to Switzerland, where 95.75% of the population say they have a reliable network of friends or family. Israel completes the top three, with 95.74%.

European nations feature strongly on the list, from Denmark in fourth, down to Germany in tenth. There is also a place for New Zealand (eighth) in the top 10.

The data in the report is taken from the Gallup World Poll. Participants were asked: “If you were in trouble, do you have relatives or friends you can count on to help you whenever you need them?”

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Author: Joe Myers is a Digital Content Producer at Formative Content.

Image: A Nicaraguan farm family waits for food during a march along the highway. REUTERS