Latest news with #JulieRay
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Americans, Especially Women, Feel Less Free. They're Not Wrong.
People around the world are, by and large, satisfied with the freedom they enjoy in their everyday lives. The exceptions to this trend are Americans—women, in particular. This could be the set-up for commentary from Euro-pundits and U.N. officials about American political dysfunction or the evils of our culture except for an important complication: By the reckoning of several independent organizations, the world is getting less free, and folks here at home are closer to the truth than are our overseas cousins. "For the third year in a row, Americans are less satisfied with their personal freedom than the rest of the world, including their peers in other wealthy, market-based economies," Gallup's Benedict Vigers and Julie Ray reported of survey data on May 14. "While Americans have been less satisfied in recent years, satisfaction with personal freedom has remained higher and steady worldwide. A median of 81% across 142 countries and territories expressed satisfaction with their freedom in 2024." Specifically, Americans' satisfaction "with their freedom to choose what they do with their lives" started falling after 2020, when it was 85 percent; this was comparable to the peak 87-percent median recorded in the 38 developed, democratic countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and a bit higher than the 80-percent median recorded globally. U.S. satisfaction peaked several times over the past two decades at 87 percent, making 2020 unremarkable. As of 2024, after a brief and mild pandemic-era dip, OECD residents' satisfaction with their freedom stands at 86 percent and the global median is at 81 percent. Satisfaction with freedom among Americans, by contrast, has plunged to 72 percent. Americans are rather less satisfied than their peers around the world with the freedom they enjoy in their lives. As it turns out, folks in the U.S. have a better handle on the real-world situation. "Global freedom declined for the 19th consecutive year in 2024," Freedom House noted in its Freedom in the World 2025 report. The report called out backsliding among almost twice as many nations that slid further into authoritarianism as opposed to those that improved respect for liberty. It highlighted attacks on political dissidents and candidates, pointing out that "in France, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States, among others, extremism or partisan grievances motivated physical assaults on individuals campaigning for office." And it also noted that "elected leaders in democracies are increasingly seeking to undermine checks on their power, focusing their assaults on the media, anticorruption authorities, and the courts. These attacks endanger both democracy and basic freedoms." Likewise, the Economist's Democracy Index 2024 warns that "governments and political parties in many democracies have become estranged from citizens." In response to upstart political movements, the establishments in many seemingly stable democracies "do everything in their power to keep the populists out and to present them as illegitimate or even a threat." The biggest declines have been seen in electoral process and pluralism and, especially, civil liberties which, the Economist notes, have not recovered from pandemic responses "when governments responded to the coronavirus threat with national lockdowns and an unprecedented withdrawal of liberties." Political elites are maintaining their forms of democracy, so long as nobody really challenges them or wants to make their own choices. The Fraser Institute's Human Freedom Index 2024 agrees "freedom deteriorated severely in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Most areas of freedom fell, including significant declines through 2022 in freedom of movement, expression, and association and assembly; and in sound money." Fraser sees some small improvements since then but adds that freedom "remained well below its pre-pandemic level." Overall, "87.4 percent of the world's population saw a fall in human freedom from 2019 to 2022." That's not to say some countries haven't improved—a few have, in dramatic ways. And even in countries that have slid in respect for freedom, the fall isn't across the board. People may see improved safeguards for specific liberties that they value. But if you're comparing where we are now to where we were less than a decade ago, it's fair to say the world is less free, and that includes developed countries with established democratic political systems. Americans are outliers in the Gallup survey because we're right. Interestingly, American women are particularly less "satisfied with their freedom to choose what they do with their lives." While men's satisfaction with the state of freedom dropped from 88 percent in 2020 to 73 percent in 2023 and blipped up to 77 percent last year, women's satisfaction steadily declined from 82 percent in 2020 to 66 percent last year. The drop among women from 2021 to 2022 was especially sharp, and while Gallup didn't ask about the specifics of freedom with which people are satisfied or dissatisfied, the report comments that its "fieldwork in 2022 coincided with the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision on abortion rights, a draft of which was leaked to the press on May 2, 2022." Men's and women's responses to the survey were similar before the leak but diverged afterwards. Also, "women's satisfaction dropped most among those who approved of then-President Joe Biden," suggesting progressive women who are most inclined to support reproductive rights suffered the biggest drop in satisfaction with freedom right around the time that Dobbs overturned Roe v. Wade's protections for abortion. Controversial, long-debated, and forever in the news, reproductive rights remain a touchstone by which many Americans—women in particular—assess the degree to which they see themselves as free. The more leeway they have to make their own choices about reproductive issues, the more satisfied they are with the state of their freedom. Curtail their ability to make choices and they become less satisfied. This issue is and will remain a major factor in our politics (consider the weekend bombing of a fertility clinic, apparently by an "anti-natalist" terrorist who opposed bringing more people into the world). That said, reproductive issues are certainly not the only factor. U.S. men and women alike reported feeling less free before the leak and then release of the Dobbs decision. Dobbs may well have accelerated that decline, especially for women, but Americans already reported feeling substantially less free even before reproductive rights were elevated back to prominence in 2022. Unfortunately, Americans have it right. Governments around the world have made many of us less free than we were just a few years ago. The post Americans, Especially Women, Feel Less Free. They're Not Wrong. appeared first on
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The 5 most miserable cities in America
It's a dismal time to be an American — and there's data to prove it. The United States continued its decline in the annual World Happiness report rankings, landing at 24th place, the country's worst performance to date. Young Americans were especially likely to give their overall happiness a negative rating, while older Americans have a sunnier outlook on life. Experts attribute this to a number of factors, including political and economic stress among young people, contrasted against security and stronger social networks among older generations. 'Americans under the age of 30 are feeling worse about their lives,' Julie Ray, Gallup's managing editor for world news, told Quartz. 'They feel less supported by their families and less free to make choices about their lives.' This year's results are a continuation on a years-long downward trend. In 2024, the U.S. tumbled eight places in the World Happiness Report rankings — falling out of the top 20 for the first time ever. Young people 'felt less optimistic about their living standards. We saw a loss of hope,' said Ray. 'And that hasn't returned.' While much of what drives unhappiness is structural, there are concrete steps that everyone can take to boost their own satisfaction with life. Earning more money, for example, is commonly cited as a way to improve overall happiness but on its own that might not be enough. 'When deciding where to live to maximize your happiness, you'll want to pick a city that offers more than just a decent average income,' said Chip Lupo, an analyst at the consumer finance site WalletHub, in a statement. 'The ideal city provides conditions that foster good mental and physical health, like reasonable work hours, short commutes, good weather, and caring neighbors.' WalletHub recently ranked 180 of the largest cities in the U.S. by overall happiness, based on their performance across three categories: emotional and physical wellbeing, income and employment, and community and environment. The analysts determined the scores in each category by looking at 29 metrics including depression rates, job satisfaction, and weather. WalletHub pulled data from several sources including the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Sharecare Community Well-Being Index. Continue reading to learn more about the five least happy cities in America. Click here to read about the happiest cities in America. Gulfport, Mississippi is the fifth most unhappy city in America. It performed especially poorly in the income growth metric. Fort Smith, Arkansas is the fourth most unhappy city in America. It has the second lowest levels of sports participation in the country. Memphis, Tennessee is the third most unhappy city in America. It performed especially poorly in the income and unemployment category. Detroit, Michigan is the second most unhappy city in America. It has the lowest level of adequate sleep and the highest divorce and separation rate in the country. Cleveland, Ohio is the most unhappy city in America. It performed especially poorly in the community and environment category. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Hi Dubai
20-03-2025
- Business
- Hi Dubai
UAE Improves Ranking in Global Happiness Index 2025, Surpassing the UK, US, and France
The UAE has made significant strides in the World Happiness Index 2025, climbing to 21st place globally, surpassing the UK, the US, Germany, France, Singapore, and all other Arab nations. The rankings, released by Gallup, underscore the UAE's growing influence on global happiness metrics, thanks to its strong economy, social support systems, and robust infrastructure. The survey highlights the UAE's leading position in charitable contributions, ranking 16th globally in donating money and 19th in volunteering time. However, it also revealed a unique contrast, with the country placing 67th in helping a stranger. This disparity emphasizes the importance of fostering deeper personal connections within communities. Julie Ray, managing editor at Gallup, noted that the UAE's high ranking stems from its strong culture of giving, which correlates with overall happiness. The country also ranked 12th globally in believing a stranger would return a lost wallet, reflecting a sense of trust and social cohesion. Jon Clifton, CEO of Gallup, emphasized the importance of trust and social connections in fostering happiness. The UAE's "Year of Community" initiative in 2025 is a strategic step towards strengthening family and community ties, which are crucial to societal well-being. While Finland maintained its top spot as the happiest country for the eighth consecutive year, the UAE's continued progress highlights the role of positive social connections and benevolent actions in driving happiness and societal growth. News Source: Khaleej Times
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Americans are unhappy. Here are the 5 happiest countries in the world
The Nordic countries of Finland, Denmark, and Iceland once again topped the list of the happiest countries in the world, while the United States failed to recover from last year's historic drop out of the top 20, the Gallup World Happiness Report revealed. The countries that rank in the upper echelons of joy are 'not surprising,' to Julie Ray, Gallup's managing editor for world news. 'Finland, in particular, has a lack of inequality,' she told Quartz. 'Strong safety nets and relatively strong economies are characteristic of the top of the list.' A strong economy, however, is not enough to guarantee the happiness of a country's citizens. The United States, which ranked 24th in the world, was one of several wealthy, industrialized nations that has seen a decrease in overall happiness. Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, and Canada have all experienced noticeable declines – while less affluent countries like Mexico and Costa Rica rank among the happiest in the world. 'This year's report quantifies the human elements of life that are often hard to measure,' said Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, director of Oxford's Wellbeing Research Centre, in a statement. 'These findings push us to look beyond traditional determinants like health and wealth and encourage people to get back around the table together.' The Gallup analysis suggests that people in Latin American countries are especially happy, relative to their countries' gross domestic products, because of the close social and familial ties which exist in their cultures. Living with four to five people and sharing meals with others, for example, are both considered optimal for overall happiness. In less affluent countries, like Mexico, bigger households are more common than in Europe or the United States – which could counterbalance a relative lack of wealth. 'Although income does play a big role in people's life evaluations, it's not just money that explains why people are happy,' Ray said. In fact, this year's Gallup report places special emphasis on themes of 'sharing and caring' as significant factors in the overall happiness of individuals and entire countries. So-called 'deaths of despair' – which are deaths linked to suicide or drug and alcohol use – are less common in countries where people frequently engage in benevolent acts. 'If you're giving to others by donating your time, donating your money, or even helping a stranger, that improves your wellbeing,' said Ray. 'You're giving to somebody else, but you're getting happiness in return.' Click through to see the five happiest countries in the world. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Axios
20-03-2025
- Business
- Axios
U.S. once again hits new low in World Happiness Report
The U.S. hit a new record low on the annual World Happiness Report released Wednesday night. Why it matters: The drop in the U.S.' ranking comes on the back of a monumental U.S. election and as many Americans report struggling to stay afloat financially. The big picture: The U.S. ranked 24th in the 2025 World Happiness Report, one spot lower than it did last year, when it likewise broke a new record low. The World Happiness Report, powered by data from Gallup, noted that the "increasing number of people dining along is one reason for declining wellbeing" in the U.S. 2024 marked the first year the U.S. didn't rank among the world's 20 happiest countries since the report launched 12 years ago. Its number 23 ranking last year was eight slots lower than it was in 2023. State of play: While the U.S. ranking only changed slightly between the 2024 and 2025 reports, it underscores the previous year's finding that young people under 30 are driving the downward shift, Julie Ray, managing editor of world news at Gallup, told Axios Tuesday. "There's been "no recovery in terms of young people's perception," she said. Instead, young people in the U.S. feel "less supported by friends and family, less free to make life choices, and less optimistic about their living standards," Ray said. Zoom in: In fact, the number of young people who said they believe they have the freedom to choose what to do with their lives fell 10 points between 2024 and 2020, at the onset of the pandemic, Ray noted. This paints a "bleak picture" of perceptions of the U.S.' future and the viability of the American dream, according to Ray. Zoom out: The Nordic countries continue to rank among the happiest in the world, with Finland, Denmark, Iceland and Sweden claiming the top for slots in the latest report. According to Gallup's findings, three Western nations — the U.S., Canada and Switzerland — were "among the fifteen largest losers" in the happiness rankings. "This year, for the first time, none of the large industrial powers ranked in the top 20," the report stated.
