There is a clear reason Australia is tumbling further down the global happiness rankings, Alan Austin reports: mendacious media reporting.
GIVEN THEIR MANY long days of bright sunshine, freedom from fear of invasion, wealth and income, frequent trips abroad and extraordinary choice in baked beans, Australians should be the happiest people on the planet. Folks in Finland, by the same criteria, should rank close to last.
But according to Oxford University’s World Happiness Report for 2026 released last Thursday, the Finns are top of the list of 147 countries and Australia ranks a dismal 15th. Disturbingly, Australia plunged five places from tenth last year, while Finland recorded its ninth year in top spot.
How come? Last year Helsinki had only 56 days of clear skies and sunshine; only a third actually warm – fewer than twenty. The Finns watched the Russians build more artillery brigade garrisons along their 1,300 km border. Finland’s economy declined further, with deepening budget deficits, negative GDP growth in four of the last five quarters, and the jobless hitting 10.4%. Yet still they smile.
The following grid compares six nations on 15 indicators of a happy life. Australia is first on ten of these and second on the other five. It is way ahead of Finland on all of them.
Australia’s media lie continually
We suggested last year newsrooms might play a role. We are more emphatic now, as multiple vicious campaigns of lying, manipulating and bullying have escalated against current Labor administrations – which, as Saturday’s result in South Australia proved, enjoy unprecedented support.
Virtually all mainstream newsrooms are now staffed by craven liars whose daily output foments ignorance, hostility, division and depression.
In an attempt to deceive its audience last Wednesday, Channel 9’s Today show asked Treasurer Jim Chalmers:
“So, Australia now has the highest interest rates in the Western world. How does that sit with you?”
That was blatantly false. Australia’s cash rate is now at a moderate 4.1%. Rates are 6.25% in Hungary, 7.0% Mexico, 7.5% in Iceland and 10.25% in Columbia. Those are all developed members of the OECD and accepted as Western. The OECD average is 4.0%.
Misinformation and misery on interest rates
There is no obvious optimum interest rate. Borrowers naturally want this to be low, while lenders prefer it high. The Taylor Rule, which gained wide acceptance in the 1990s, suggests an ideal range today between 4.0% and 5.5%.
Historically in Australia, that has been unattainably low. The cash rate was above 9% from 1978 to 1991 and above 12% for nearly half that. It was above 6% for most of the years 1994 to 1997, and 2006 to 2008. The current 4.1% is below optimum from the perspective of savers, but is pretty much smack in the middle of today’s desirable band, given global conditions.
Yet the mendacious media routinely run these appallingly destructive narratives:
- 'Nightmare on Martin Place as RBA outlines horror interest rates scenario' (ABC News, 3 February 2026)
- Economic downturn necessary to tame inflation, economists warn' (Australian Financial Review, 16 March 2026)
- 'RBA delivers $2800 blow in knife edge 5-4 interest rate hike vote' (Herald Sun, 17 March 2026)
- '"Our living is decimated": Furious Aussies turn on govt after rate hike' (Herald Sun, 18 March 2026)
The critical reality Australia’s craven media refuse to acknowledge is that hopeful home buyers borrow funds made available by other citizens who have deposited their savings with the banks. The higher the returns for savers, the more funds are deposited for home loans. It’s a trade-off.
Germany, France, Denmark, Switzerland, Austria, Hong Kong and South Korea all have lower interest rates than Australia. They also have much lower levels of home ownership.
The other reality the media conceals is that home buyers actually benefit greatly in the long run from inflation, as this ensures ever-increasing capital value of their asset. Any short-term hardship they endure now will be compensated abundantly in decades to come.
Outlier in media manipulation
Almost all events Australia’s newsrooms report these days, however routine, portend the end of civilisation as we know it — and Albo is culpable:
- 'Albanese’s antisemitism blame shift "delusional": Morrison' (The Australian, 20 January 2026)
- '"A disgrace": Fuel supply chaos consigns avocados to rot' (The Australian, 12 March 2026)
- 'Voters blame Albanese, not Trump’s war, as cost-of-living pain deepens'(Sydney Morning Herald, 16 March 2026)
- 'Trump lashes Australia over war help, as U.S. drops bunker-buster bombs' (Australian Financial Review, 18 March 2026)
Even exceptionally good news must be distorted:
- 'ATO warns family trusts its amnesty on back taxes won’t last' (Australian Financial Review, 17 March 2026)
- 'Construction at record levels but problems loom' (Herald Sun, 19 March 2026)
Most other developed countries demand their media report accurately and fairly.
New Zealand’s interest rates were raised to 5.25% in April 2023 — much higher than Australia’s modest 4.1%. Instead of frenzied attacks on the Government quoting mouth-frothing Opposition MPs, the New Zealand Herald calmly reported (5 April 2023), ‘Reserve Bank hikes Official Cash Rate to 5.25 per cent’.
Similarly, when Finland’s jobless rate jumped to 10.4% in February, this was headlined by YLE (24 February 2026): ‘Finland shows slight improvement in record-high jobless rate’.
Independent Australia asked Susanna Mykkänen Irlès, a multi-lingual Finnish translator working with European institutions, why she thinks Finns remain upbeat despite economic challenges.
“We don't complain about our government or growing unemployment or declining health care. If the question is ‘Do you trust people/neighbours/authorities/police/newspapers/ television?’, yes we do.
“We enjoy nature just around the corner, we have good work-life balance, free education, an open society and we know where our taxes go," said Ms Irlès."We have no Fox News and no corruption, so are happy with what we have, most of the time at least.”
No Murdoch media and no corruption? Sounds great. But do they have smoky campfire BBQ baked beans with caramelised onions?
Alan Austin is an Independent Australia columnist and freelance journalist. You can follow him on Twitter @alanaustin001 and Bluesky @alanaustin.bsky.social.
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