Americans under 30 are so miserable that the U.S. just fell to a historic low ranking in the annual World Happiness Report
In the World Happiness Report's annual ranking of the happiest countries, the U.S. dropped to no.24, its lowest position in the list's 13-year history. Last year, the U.S. dropped out of the top 20 for the first time. The list is compiled from analysis of how a representative sample of residents from over 140 countries rate their quality of life.
'That gradual decline in well-being in the United States is, if you start digging into it, especially driven by people that are below 30,' Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, professor of economics at the University of Oxford, leader of the Wellbeing Research Center and editor of The World Happiness Report, tells Fortune. 'Life satisfaction of young people in the U.S. has declined.'
If you were only to assess those below 30, the U.S. wouldn't even rank in the top 60 happiest countries, the report finds. It's the same reason for the U.S.'s dramatic drop last year from no.15 to no.23. But the continuous decline is concerning, researchers note.
'It is really disheartening to see this, and it links perfectly with the fact that it's the well-being of youth in America that's off a cliff, which is driving the drop in the rankings to a large extent,' De Neve says.
The U.S.'s ranking is also explained by larger inequality compared to the Nordic countries, like Finland (no.1), Denmark (no.2), and Iceland (no.3).
'In these Nordic Scandinavian countries, a rising tide lifts all boats, so the levels of economic inequality are much less, and that reflects in well-being as well,' De Neve says. 'In Finland, most people will rate [their happiness] as seven or an eight, whereas if you look at the distribution of well-being in the States, there's a lot of 10s out there, but there's a lot of ones as well.'
The report focused more this year on the strength of a country's social support and how much people trust in others—a key predictor of personal well-being. In 2023, nearly one in five young adults in the U.S. said they had no one they could count on for support. And in the U.S., the number of people dining alone has increased by 53% since 2003 (the number of shared meals across a week was a new data point in this year's report that correlated to positive well-being, according to De Neve).
'You see an extraordinary increase in dining alone over the past two decades in the U.S.,' he says, which exacerbates people's distrust in others and in society. 'It's the fact that people are increasingly on their own, isolated, their political thinking, their theories around life and society, are no longer tested by others … In our echo chambers, we develop these notions that others are to be distrusted, and we mistrust others, and migrants eat cats and dogs, all that kind of stuff. And as a result, we start believing these things. And the way we've picked up on that is really acute.'
The researchers say they were able to pick up on the distrust by asking whether or not people believed someone would return a lost wallet. Compared to the Nordic countries, people in the U.S. were more likely to underestimate the kindness of others.
'It requires that strangers are to be trusted, that they will go beyond the call of duty and be kind and try and get it back to the rightful owner, or drop it with the police, which means you need to trust the police,' De Neve says. 'That single item of the wallet drop is very powerful.'
For more on happiness:
Researchers have followed over 700 people since 1938 to find the keys to happiness. Here's what they discovered
Americans are proof that money can't buy happiness, new report shows
You can learn to be happier. This class can teach you how in just 1 week
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
'Buzzing': Pupils delighted with A-level results
The wait is over for thousands of pupils across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Grades for A-levels, T-levels, BTec Nationals and some Level 3 qualifications have been released. Across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, top A-level grades have risen - with 28.3% of all grades marked at A* or A, up from 27.8% last year - while a record number of students have been accepted into their first-choice university. Cambridge Maths School, a specialist sixth-form college, opened in 2023 and celebrated its first set of A-level results. In total, 43 students at the state-funded school received their A-level results, with 53% of students getting an A* grade. 'I hope I can inspire younger girls' That first cohort included Michela Castello-Lamb, from Cambridge, who achieved four A*s and is now going to study maths at the University of Bath. "I've known from an early age that maths was the area I wanted to focus on, and I really hope I can inspire younger girls to stick with the subject," she said. 'Nerve-racking' Husna, from Jack Hunt School in Peterborough, received A*, A and B grades and will be heading to University of Nottingham. "It was nerve-racking to open the envelope because it was two years of hard work but I'm glad it is over," she said. Fellow Jack Hunt student Anton said he was "buzzing" with his triple A* grades. "I already saw online that I was accepted at the university of my choice, but I have got better grades than I was expecting," he said. "I am going to study maths at Queens' College in Cambridge." He said he would be playing board games with his mum to celebrate his success. 'A good opportunity' Isaac, also from Jack Hunt School, received A, B and C grades and is choosing an apprenticeship with an accountancy firm as his next move. "It is exciting. I have two weeks until I start, so not long. But it's good opportunity to take," he said. Jon Hebblethwaite, head teacher at Jack Hunt, called it a "huge day for the students". He said: "We are here to support you, whatever happens, and it will be fine." 'Happy and relieved' Vinny was the highest-scoring student at Longsands Academy, St Neots, with three A* and an A, and will be studying physics at the University of Warwick. Eva, who got three Bs, is preparing to attend the University of Sheffield to study physical education. "I want to be a PE teacher for secondary school. I am very happy and relieved," she said. "Waiting for results, I was feeling sick but the feeling is very much gone now." Mia outperformed her expectations with a two A* grades and an A. She is heading to the University of Oxford to study biochemistry. "I am interested in treating diseases," she said. Some students at Longsands said they were planning to go to the local pub to celebrate. 'Dream come true' Ollie Unwin, a pupil at Ormiston Bushfield Academy in Peterborough, said it was a "dream come true" after attaining a place at the University of Oxford to study biology. He got A grades in biology, chemistry and mathematics. "It was a feeling I have never felt before," he said. Dennis Kirwan, principal at the school, said: "This cohort has embraced every challenge with maturity and purpose, and their results are a testament to that commitment." Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. More on this story Top A-level results see boys outperform girls for the first time since 2018 Five key takeaways from 2025's A-level results Related internet links Cambridge Maths School Jack Hunt Academy Longsands Academy Ormiston Bushfield Academy
Boston Globe
7 days ago
- Boston Globe
Razia Jan, who reached out from the South Shore to build a school for Afghan girls, dies at 81
'We have educated thousands of girls who are now teaching their siblings and children to read and write,' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Ms. Jan, who became a US citizen after moving to Boston in 1970 to further her own studies, died of congestive heart failure July 20 at home in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. Advertisement She was 81 and formerly lived for many years in Marshfield, where more than two decades ago she conceived the idea of returning to Afghanistan to create a better future for girls and women. Advertisement 'Building a foundation of lasting change for a country — that's the big picture for all of us,' said Ms. Jan greeted students outside their school in Kabul. Beth Murphy In pursuing her goals, Alberto said, Ms. Jan never gave up, whether she was raising money, seeking support from Afghan village elders, or persuading fathers to let their daughters attend school, which had been forbidden in the late-1990s, when the Taliban controlled the country. 'She just was relentless,' said Alberto, who added that it seemed as if Ms. Jan was incapable of hearing anything other than 'yes.' If a village official refused an initial request, 'she would say, 'I will bide my time and ask again,' ' Alberto said. 'She did not take no for an answer.' And when Ms. Jan faced obstacles building a school and expanding its student population, she remained endlessly optimistic. 'I saw her say 'yes' so many times when maybe another person would say 'no,' ' said Rather than set aside plans, Quigley added, Ms. Jan would say: ' 'This is going to be hard to do — we can do this.' Any kind of roadblock that came along would not deter her at all. She would find a way around it.' 'She was really a powerhouse,' said Advertisement In Afghanistan, where those who oppose letting girls be educated have burned other girls' schools and poisoned students, Ms. Jan and the institution she founded were beacons for a better future, her friends said. 'Razia was hope personified, and I think that's her biggest legacy,' said 'She cared so much about the girls and their futures, and about the teachers and their families,' Murphy said. 'She has genuinely altered the lives of generations of people in Afghanistan. It's so remarkable.' Ms. Jan was born on June 5, 1944, in Quetta, which has since then become part of Pakistan, and grew up there and in Kabul. She was the youngest of five siblings, including a half-brother from the first marriage of her mother, Zainab Sardar. Her father, Sardar Ali Asghar Mohammed Zai, was from a prosperous extended family that owned agricultural lands and lived together in a compound. After graduating from a women's college with bachelor's and master's degrees in early childhood education, Ms. Jan followed one of her brothers to the United States. He was at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She studied at Radcliffe College and what is now Lesley University before moving to Marshfield, where she raised her son, Lars, as a single mother. With Jan's Original Designs, she made clothes that she sold along the Eastern seaboard. Then she opened Razia's Tailors and Cleaners in Duxbury. After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, she made hundreds of fleece quilts with American flags and other designs and donated them to relief efforts. She also made large quilts bearing images and descriptions of those killed in the attacks. Advertisement A few years later, 'My mom's vision was, 'If I can educate a girl for a day, I'll educate a girl for a day,' ' said her son, Lars, who lives in Los Angeles. 'She believed in the cycle of education: the more that you can educate a girl, the more likely that she's going to be able to transmit that to her own children, and to her sisters and brothers.' Ms. Jan spoke several languages, a legacy of her youth, which helped her negotiate with all the people whose approvals she needed for her school. Her effort to create the school was inspired partly by her mother, whose generation didn't have the educational opportunities Ms. Jan enjoyed. She also drew inspiration from time she spent in Los Angeles with her only grandchild, Esme, when she was the same age as girls who attend the Zabuli Education Center. 'She poured such depth of love and attention and care on Esme,' said Mia Barron, Ms. Jan's daughter-in-law. 'They just loved being beside each other.' A celebration of life will be announced for Ms. Jan, who in addition to her son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter, leaves two brothers, Ashraf of Alexandra, Va., and Assif of Islamabad, Pakistan. Advertisement Ms. Jan, 'The tenacity of Afghan girls is the reason I remain optimistic,' she wrote near the end of her Globe essay, published just after the Taliban seized power. 'Now is not the time to surrender to despair. I will continue to educate girls, even if we are presented with new obstacles; we will make concessions in exchange for safety in education. We are resolute in the belief that education is the key to peaceful change, even when progress feels slow.' Additional challenges would surely appear, she added, but 'what is easy and what is worthy are often not the same. I believe in the power of girls, just as I believe in the future of Afghanistan.' Bryan Marquard can be reached at
Yahoo
04-08-2025
- Yahoo
Plans for $48M Palm Beach County animal shelter will help reach goal of zero euthanizations
Palm Beach County's animal shelter still euthanizes animals, but at a much lower rate than in previous years. Jan Steele, the director of Animal Care & Control, recently appeared before county commissioners to discuss the agency's operation. Among the topics discussed was the euthanization rate. The shelter would rather not kill any animal, but sometimes it has no choice, Steele said. The county shelter, unlike private ones, must accept any animal that is dropped off, she noted. Some have behavioral problems; others are sick. Efforts to find those animals adoptive homes pose a challenge. There is also a space problem. The facility, along Belvedere Road west of Florida's Turnpike in suburban West Palm Beach, is over capacity. As of July 20, the facility had 193 dogs with only enough space for 144. It had 172 cats with space for 100 Pets had to be either doubled or tripled up or housed in temporary crates while calls are placed to other shelters to take some of the animals. 'We need to have four or five kennels available to accommodate law enforcement,' Steele said. Once all options are exhausted, animals are put on the proposed euthanasia list, which Steele and a veterinarian review. Nonetheless, Steele noted, the agency has significantly improved its release rate, the percentage of animals released from the shelter without having to be euthanized. In 2023, the release rate was 86%. Five years earlier, it was just 69%. In 2013, more than 9,300 animals had to be killed; the figure was 1,221 in 2024. A taste of Royal Palm Beach: Decadent Cuban sandwiches, savory bowls of pho, even oxtail How has Animal Control cut back on its euthanization rates? Steele said the community is more aware of what is being done at the shelter, which provides for nearly 10,000 animals each year. More people are volunteering. And the county has expanded its offering of free sterilizations for both cats and dogs. The agency has also increased the number of community partners that take in pets at the shelter. The county had hoped to meet its goal of zero euthanizations in 2024. In 2014, county commissioners adopted a resolution that set a goal of ending euthanasia of all adoptable dogs and cats by that year. Recognizing that was not going to happen, the county extended the deadline for 'The Countdown to Zero' animal kills by an additional 10 years. MORE: Animal Care and Control is getting a new $48M facility with needed air-conditioned kennels The county has approved plans to build a new facility for Animal Care & Control. Construction is expected to begin sometime this winter. The facility's $48 million facelift will more than double its size and include air-conditioned kennels. It will allow for more animals to be accommodated. Steele noted that sick animals will be housed in a quarantine-isolation facility, allowing for veterinary care to be provided at a higher level. 'We will not have to euthanize pets simply because there's no place to house them,' she said. Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government. You can reach him at mdiamond@ Help support local journalism. Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County animal shelter euthanization rate down Solve the daily Crossword
