If you’ve been down in the dumps lately, sadly there a plenty of others who would say the same. In the new 2025 World Happiness Report, the United States plummeted to 24th place—its lowest ranking of all time.
Its highest ranking was back in 2012 when it nearly broke the top 10, but not quite, at 11th place. Now, the country didn’t even get past the top 20…
Here are some key highlights from the 2025 World Happiness Report.
Happiest countries in 2025
- Finland
- Denmark
- Iceland
- Sweden
- Netherlands
- Costa Rica
- Norway
- Israel
- Luxembourg
- Mexico
This is the eighth consecutive year that Finland has maintained the happiest country in the world.
Why Americans are unhappy
The study outlines a multitude of factors explaining the current rank of the United States. Here are a few:
Political polarization
Social distrust and a decline in social support have been observed across the United States. Political polarization and and a spike in anti-system votes have been a result.
Eating alone
In a 2023 study, one in four Americans were found to be dining alone. As a result this can lower one’s wellbeing, all the while escalating loneliness.
Financial stress
Financial stress can be a driving factor in unhappiness. Young, less-educated, rural people are more susceptible to this feeling experienced by both Americans and Europeans. However, economic growth doesn’t necessarily correlate with decreased life satisfaction since the US and Western Europes’s GDP per capita has risen since the mid-2000s.
Ways to improve happiness
Don’t lose hope though! There are many ways to improve your own happiness.
Prosocial behavior
Acts like donating, volunteering and helping others not only contributes to an individual’s wellbeing, but also lowers death despair. Research showed that if just 10% more people perform prosocial behavior, it could lead to one fewer death per every 100,000 people annually.
Sharing and connecting
Chapter three wrote how “dining alone is not good for your wellbeing.” When people spend time together, most commonly by sharing meals, it can increase one’s happiness. The report noted that “countries where people share relatively more meals tend to display higher levels of social support and positive reciprocity, and lower levels of loneliness.”
Additionally, living with someone, therefore sharing space with someone, can also help people connect. Inversely, people who live alone are less happy than those who live with others. Not to mention, NYC has a ‘singles tax.’
Benevolence
The study explained how many people around the globe had pessimistic perceptions of others’ benevolence. For an example, researchers purposefully dropped wallets in the street to discover how many would be returned. The results were far more wallets than expected. And since we’re quick to misjudge people’s kindness, our misinterpretation can negatively impact our wellbeing. Therefore, if people can believe in others’ benevolence, they can improve their wellbeing.