Britons are just the funniest people...or at least that's what top businessmen said in a survey about European humour.

Some 34 percent of respondents to the latest UPS Europe Business Monitor said the British have the sharpest wit, while only three percent backed German claims for the accolade.

Even in Germany, only one in ten executives said their countrymen cracked them up -- compared with 47 percent who sided with Britain, the survey showed.

The poll of 1,450 executives in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Britain showed that most nationalities liked their local humour best. German, French and Dutch bosses were the exceptions.

Some 66 percent of Spanish backed their own wit, followed by 59 percent of British, and 58 percent of Italians.

Second-placed overall in the laughter probe was Italy with 18 percent of votes, followed by Spain with 15 percent.

Only one in four French respondents considered their home country to be the funniest, while 34 percent of them favoured Britain and 16 percent Belgium. None voted for Germany.

Germany also struggled to pick up points away from home -- apart from three percent of British votes, and one percent apiece from the Netherlands and Italy, the country drew a blank.

Executives also voted on humour levels in Ireland, Denmark, Sweden and Austria, with the latter pair barely raising a smirk outside of Germany.