British man living in Madrid explains why the Spanish are the 'happiest people in the world'

Tom, a graphic designer who has lived in Spain's capital for six years, has made a name for himself on social media with his amusing project 'Guiris de mierda'

A. Cabeza

Barcelona

Tuesday, 8 April 2025, 13:47

Spain is loved all over the world for its culture, gastronomy and climate, and this contributes to the image of peace and happiness of its citizens. It is all a matter of perception, but it is true that foreigners who visit the country often get the impression that here people live happily and without any problems. Obviously not all that glitters is gold, but there must be something to make this theory so widespread.

According to the rankings, there are many other countries where the people are happier: experts believe that housing difficulties and low salaries are two aspects that play against the idea of this bucolic country. But that does not detract from the fact that for many the friendly atmosphere, calm pace, low stress, fresh air and gastronomy is a luxury.

One of the many foreigners currently living here has given his views on the matter. Tom, a graphic designer who has been living in Madrid for six years and who has made a name for himself on social media with his amusing project 'Guiris de mierda'. Tom has posted on his TikTok account @tomcharliedesign his theory on why Spaniards are happier than other cultures and it has been a huge hit on the internet.

"The day has more hours"

"When I lived in London life seemed rushed and rainy, but here the day has longer hours," Tom explained in the description of the video and before explaining his theory as to why people are "happier here than in the rest of the world". Tom does point out that "it's just my opinion", and that he hasn't lived in countries like France or Italy either, so he can't compare and maybe he's not right.

@tomcharliedesign 🇪🇸 Are Spaniards happier or is it just me? When I lived in London life seemed rushed and rainy, yet here, there are more hours in the day. #workfromhome #workandtravel #madridvlog #dayinthelife #madridalcielo #vlog #uxdesigner #digitalnomad #portfoliotips #dayinthelife #spendthedaywithme #weekendvlog ♬ Runaway - Piano Version - your movie soundtrack

Tom argues that "it seems that the day has more hours when you finish working" and that when you leave the office "you don't go home, eat and go to sleep and the next day you repeat the same thing".

Finally, Tom said he got chatting to an American who was travelling in Spain and about the differences he saw compared with his native country. They commented on the "peace" of the Spanish way of life and that here "life is lived".

"I don't know if I'll remain in Spain until I die but I can imagine worse ways to spend my years," Tom ended his video. "This is one of the reasons why I miss living in Spain," replied one TikToker, while another added "the hours of sunshine we have, you can see the difference in people's mood when spring comes."

"This is true. In Spain you finish work and go out with friends or shopping, and in other countries you finish work and have nothing else to do," added another internet user.

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