【ItmightnotcomeasasurprisethatChinafellbehindWesterncountriesinarecentUNreportonglobalhappiness．Chinawasonlyranked112thhappiestcountryoutof156intheUN'sWorldHappinessReportinApril．Thehappiestcountry，itseems】

　　It might not come as a surprise that China fell behind Western countries in a recent UN report on global happiness．China was only ranked 112th happiest country out of 156in the UN's World Happiness Report in April．

　　The happiest country，it seems，is Denmark，closely followed by three more northern European countries-Finland，Norway，and the Netherlands．

　　But apart from income and lifestyle differences，there are also cultural reasons for this divide．They show that Chinese people and Westerners have different perceptions of happiness．

　　According to a survey conducted by CCTV，income levels most affected Chinese people's sense of well-being （55.5percent），followed by health （48.9percent） and quality of marriage or love life （32percent）．

　　It seems that all these criteria are lagging（落后） in China，and that the obvious explanation for greater happiness in the West is higher incomes．

　　But not so，says Professor John Helliwell，an American economist at the University of British Columbia and coauthor of the UN report．

　　According to Helliwell，low-income individuals may experience an initial jump in happiness when their money increases，but this feeling decreases as they adapt to their new circumstances．He stresses the example of the US，where，despite GDP figures rising consistently for the past 50years，happiness has been steadily declining．

　　This is because people desire more than money and material wealth．"To be happy，we need to feel connection，trust and meaningful relationships，"explains Helliwell．

　　Dr Deborah Swallow，a UK expert on cultural diversity however，believes there are some differences in the perceptions of happiness in the West and China．

　　"For North Americans and Europeans，happiness tends to be defined in terms of personal achievement，and is best predicted by self-esteem"she says．

　　"For East Asians，happiness tends to be defined in terms of interpersonal connectednes