U.S. drops in global happiness rankings, and political polarization is partly to blame
Finland holds the top spot for the eighth consecutive year. Denmark, Iceland, Sweden and the Netherlands round out the top five happiest countries.
Based on a population's average evaluation of their quality of life from 2022 to 2024, this year's study data ranks 147 nations according to their happiness levels. The rankings are primarily based on data from the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford and Gallup World Poll, which asks respondents to rate their present level of happiness.
Which countries are happy enough to make into the Top 20?
As the United States slumped to 24th, Mexico and Costa Rico hopped into the top 10 for the first time since the report's introduction in 2012.
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U.S. drops in World Happiness Report
According to the study, "the rise in political polarization and votes against 'the system'" was a factor that caused the United States and other European nations to fall in the rankings.
"We show that the countrywide evolution of happiness and trust is highly associated with the rise in the likelihood of voting for anti-system parties in Western Europe and the United States," according to the authors' report.
Individual life evaluations are especially poor in nations such as Afghanistan, which ranks last in overall happiness.
Afghanistan's happiness score in the 2025 report was 1.36 out of 10. Afghanistan has been at the bottom of the World Happiness Report for six consecutive years.
How the U.S. compare on the happiness scale
The report also found that as the number of single-person households have grown in the past two decades, the number of people eating alone has increased 53%, which can lead to more loneliness. According to the survey, eating with others is strongly associated with well-being.
What increases happiness in countries?
Several factors are linked to overall well-being, from meal-sharing to income and employment status, according to the report.
The report says households of four to five people typically enjoy the highest happiness levels in Mexico and Europe, though many people in Europe live on their own. Researchers also suggest social connections are vital for young adults to avoid the toxic effects of stress.
The report suggests that countries where acts of generosity and kindness are frequent often lead to fewer despair-related deaths such as suicides or drug overdoses.
CONTRIBUTING Anthony Robeldo
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