AUSSIE LAMB TAKES ON THE WORLD HAPPINESS INDEX

Almost half of Australians believe lamb should be a weekly ritual

Australia may have slipped out of the world’s top 10 happiest nations, but Australian Lamb says the rankings have missed the point.

The brand’s annual summer campaign targets the World Happiness Index after Australia dropped to number 11 last March, its first drop from the top tier.

According to Australian Lamb, the problem is not our mood. It is the measuring stick.

A very Australian take on happiness

The new ad argues that Australian happiness does not show up neatly in global spreadsheets.

It lives at the local hardware store sausage sizzle, in last-minute trips to the shops in swimmers, and around a table where lamb is doing the heavy lifting socially.

Togetherness, the outdoors and shared meals are positioned as the objective markers of contentment, not international league tables.

What the happiness data says about us

To back up its case, Australian Lamb ran its own national Australian Happiness Census. The results paint a sunnier picture than the global rankings suggest.

Nearly three in four Australians, 74 per cent, say they are happy most days or always. On average, respondents rated their happiness at 7.3 out of 10.

Millennials emerged as the most cheerful cohort, with 85 per cent saying they are happy most days or more.

Why lamb still matters

Food plays a measurable role in national morale. Australians who eat lamb score 0.6 points higher on the happiness scale than those who do not, according to the research.

Almost half of Australians, 49 per cent, believe lamb should be a weekly ritual.

Roast leg of lamb topped the favourites list among happy Australians at 52 per cent, followed by chops at 42 per cent and cutlets at 39 per cent.

What could be better than a lamb on a spit?

The small rituals that lift our mood

Spending time outdoors three to four times a week makes Australians nearly three times more likely to feel happy all the time, compared with those who get outside less often.

Cracking a beer with anything scored 7.5 out of 10 on the happiness scale. Even early-morning run clubs earned bragging rights, with 86 per cent of 6am jog-and-coffee regulars reporting post-run happiness.

Why the world rankings don’t quite get us

Australian social quirks also help explain why global happiness metrics can miss the mark.

Forty-one per cent of Australians think calling someone “Cupcake” could be offensive, while terms like “Mate” or “Legend” are widely accepted, with only 7 per cent considering them off-limits.

Nathan Low, General Manager for Marketing and Insights at MLA, said the campaign aimed to reframe the national conversation around happiness.

"At first glance, the World Happiness Index might suggest Australians have lost their spark.

But our research tells a different story: happiness here isn’t about rankings, it’s about togetherness, shared experiences, and the simple joys that make life distinctly Aussie.

Nothing brings people together like an epic lamb BBQ, and this campaign celebrates the humour, camaraderie, and unmistakable Aussie spirit that keep us smiling every day."

The long-form film is available via the Australian Lamb YouTube page, with supporting content live at australianlamb.com.au.