In some countries, the numbers are enormous (such as Singapore, Switzerland), and yet everyday life is stressful: long working hours, high rent, and a lack of free time. Meanwhile, other countries such as Norway and Germany are working on making life easier to ordinary citizens: less work, more leisure time, healthier, more trust
So I ask you:
- Has your life changed with the "growth" of your country?
- Do you feel more secure, or less?
- If you could choose, would you want more money, more time, or more trust in people?
afaik, countries like Germany and Norway consistently rank high in life-work balance. They have shorter work weeks, generous leave, universal healthcare and trust in institutions. I visited Germany, so I know their averages just around 33 hours/week. afaik they are fourth globally for life-work harmony. Meanwhile Norway has earned top marks in both happiness and trust. I just google it and got Citizen report life satisfaction around 7.3/10 on the
OECD survey.
So, yes, more money makes a lot of money problems go away, but more time and social trust make people's lives better.