Hsinchu rated happiest place to live in Taiwan
CNA 2012-09-10 16:34 (GMT+8)
Performers wear happy masks and traditional Hakka clothing at the opening of a rest area in Hsinchu. (Photo/Chen Yu-hsien)
Taiwan's northern city of Hsinchu has been ranked as the happiest place to live in the country, followed by the outlying islands of Penghu and Hsinchu county, a survey showed Monday.
The happiness index among residents of Hsinchu city was 70.5, the only place in which it surpassed 70, according to the survey conducted by the local Economic Daily News and NanShan Life Insurance Co.
Penghu was in second place with a happiness index of 69.4, and Hsinchu county was third with an index of 66.8.
Rounding out the top 10 were Hualien county, Miaoli county, Taoyuan county, Taitung county, Taipei, Chiayi city and Changhua county, with happiness indices ranging from 62.5 to 50.
Taipei was the only municipality that made into the top 10. Taichung was in 11th place, Tainan 12th, New Taipei 14th and Kaohsiung 17th.
The offshore counties of Kinmen and Lienchiang were not ranked due to a lack of objective indicators, the pollsters said. Nationwide, the happiness index averaged 65.1.
Twenty-two indicators were used to measure the level of happiness among residents, including objective indicators such as family income, environmental quality and internet coverage. Some subjective indicators such as family and interpersonal relationships and health status were also included.
The other indicators included public order, religious affiliations, perception of democracy, level of satisfaction with the local government's performance, and level of optimism about the future.
The survey was carried out July 10 to Aug. 18 among 22,415 residents in Taiwan's 22 counties and cities. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
