Singapore, Hong Kong face happiness deficit

Hong Kong and Singapore are rivals on many fronts. The two former British colonies compete for everything from tourist dollars to stockmarket listings and the right to host the regional headquarters of international corporations.

Politically, many Hongkongers deride Singaporeans for their weak political freedoms, while some in Singapore argue that Hongkongers' love of protesting goes too far.

But the two sides are locked in a new battle - perhaps a surprising twist in this ago-old contest - and it indicates that the two have rather more in common than they would care to admit.

Despite their wealth - Singapore and Hong Kong rank third and seventh on per capita GDP according to the World Bank - the two cities are among the least happy territories in the world, according to a Gallup poll released last month.

Singapore is way ahead in the race to be Asia's most miserable place, ranking rock bottom in the poll of 148 nations and territories, with just 46 per cent of those polled expressing positive feelings. Hong Kong came in 73rd, with 69 per cent of respondents expressing "happiness".

Panama and Paraguay topped the poll, with 85 per cent of the respondents reporting positive emotions. China, the United States, Chile, Sweden and Switzerland tied at 33rd place, despite the wide wealth disparity in these countries.

Happiness, after all, is a subjective sense of well-being; different cultures have different interpretations of it.