America’s Happiness Hits Historic Low in Global Rankings

Latest World Happiness Report ranks America at 24th place as the country struggles with rise in loneliness and ‘deaths of despair.’

Via iStock
The latest edition of the World Happiness Report finds that the United States has fallen to its lowest levels of happiness since the yearly report began in 2012. Via iStock

It’s official. America has never been more miserable.

The latest edition of the World Happiness Report finds that America has fallen to its lowest levels of happiness since the yearly report began in 2012.

The United Nations-sponsored report indexes America at 24th Place, dropping from its highest showing at number 11 nearly 15 years ago. Countries that scored higher include Costa Rica at number six and Mexico at ten. Nordic countries dominated the top of the list, with Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden ranking just behind Finland, which has held the top spot for eight years in a row.

The rankings, compiled along with Analytics firm Gallop, are based on a three-year average of self-assessed evaluations from those polled on their overall life satisfaction, GDP per capita, social support, health life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and corruption.

The report cites several factors for America’s lower ranking, including the most significant rise in “deaths of despair” or suicide and substance abuse deaths. At the same time, most other countries have seen a decline.

The survey also points out that Americans are also experiencing loneliness at a higher rate, referring to roughly one in four reporting that they eat many of their meals alone.

“The number of people dining alone in the United States has increased 53 percent over the past two decades,” the report says, noting that sharing meals is often linked to a person’s well-being.

The report’s authors say that new evidence shows that those who engage in generous acts and believe in the kindness of others are “significant predictors of happiness, even more so than earning a higher salary.”

“Happiness isn’t just about wealth or growth — it’s about trust, connection, and knowing people have your back,” Gallup CEO Jon Clifton said to the Associated Press.

“If we want stronger communities and economies, we must invest in what truly matters: each other.”


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