Poets, songwriters and politicians hate the idea, but for decades opinion-poll evidence has been clear; money buys happiness and the richer you are, the more likely you are to express satisfaction with your life. Until now, a survey of 43 countries【C1】______on October 30th by the Pew Research Centre of Washington, DC, shows that people in【C2】______markets are expressing almost the same level of satisfaction as people in rich countries. It is the biggest【C3】______to the standard view of happiness and income seen【C4】______. The Pew poll asks respondents to【C5】______, on a scale from zero to ten, how good their lives are. (Those who say between seven and ten are counted as【C6】______) In 2007, 57% of respondents in rich countries put themselves in the top four tiers; in emerging markets the【C7】______was 33%; in poor countries only 16%—a classic【C8】______of the standard view. But in 2014, 54% of rich-country respondents counted themselves as happy, whereas in emerging markets the percentage【C9】______to 51%. This was happening just at a time when emerging markets’ chances of converging economically【C10】______the West seemed to be【C11】______. Rich countries did not experience【C12】______declines in happiness. The decreases in America and Britain were tiny (a single percentage point) ,【C13】______the share of happy Germans rose 13 points. A large drop in formerly joyful Spain ensured a modest overall decline for the rich.【C14】______the convergence happened【C15】______huge improvements in countries such as Indonesia and Pakistan. In 12 of the 24 emerging markets, half or more people【C16】______their life satisfaction in the top tiers of the ladder. This is not to【C17】______the link between income and satisfaction has been snapped. Poor countries still【C18】______; only a quarter of the people there are in the happy tiers—half the level of the other two groups. There is【C19】______a clear link between happiness and income growth. China’s GDP rose at an annual average rate of 10% in 2007-2014 and its happiness level rose 26 points.【C20】______countries, richer people express more satisfaction than their poorer neighbours.【C10】