Why are Mexican teenagers so happy? The Catholic sense of community, says OECD chief

The "Catholic ethic" helps to explain why teenagers in Mexico are happier than teenagers in Britain, according to the Chief of Staff at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Gabriela Ramos said countries such as Mexico and Poland benefit from their religiosity while richer countries such as Britain depend on the welfare state, rather than family and community, for support.

She was speaking after the publication of OECD research which found British teenage girls were among some of the most miserable in the world.