If you want to stay happy as fear and loathing grip the markets, it is probably best to head down Costa Rica way. According to a happiness index compiled by Ruut Veenhoven of the Erasmus University of Rotterdam , Costa Rica, in central America, was the world's most joyful country during the noughties with an average score of 8.5, against an average of 5.8.

According to a happiness index compiled by Ruut Veenhoven of the Erasmus University of Rotterdam [ chttp://bit.ly/cstl6z ] , Costa Rica, in central America, was the world's most joyful country during the noughties with an average score of 8.5, against an average of 5.8.