United States Drops in World Happiness Rankings - Rob Horowitz

United States Drops in World Happiness Rankings - Rob Horowitz

Driven by rising distrust and fraying social connections, the United States fell to 24th in the world in the happiness of its residents, according to the 2025 World Happiness Report.  Once again, the Nordic nations dominated the top global rankings. Finland, Netherlands, Denmark, Iceland, Netherlands, and Norway earned 5 of the top 6 happiness scores. Undergirded with data from the Gallup World Poll, these annual rankings are based on people envisioning at what step they would place themselves on a ladder where the bottom (0) is the worst possible life, and the top or 10th step is the best possible life.

Our own acts of kindness and generosity, as well as our perceptions of the kindness of others are significant contributors to happiness, the report documents.  As Gallup puts it, “Being kind and expecting kindness from others -- believing that your wallet would be returned if you lost it -- are stronger predictors of happiness than avoiding major negative events like crime or economic hardship. In other words, believing in the goodwill of those around us can have a bigger impact on our well-being than earning a higher salary.”

 

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The outsized importance of sustained acts of individual kindness and generosity to happiness is backed up by a series of studies.  The level of well-being generated from benevolence, such as volunteering, making a charitable donation, or helping someone in a difficult situation, however, increases when it builds a lasting, caring connection, is actively chosen--rather than the fulfillment of an obligation--and the action produces a tangible positive result, the report authors point out.

 

A more surprising, but equally noteworthy finding is that one’s perception of the kindness and trustworthiness of others is a key ingredient in overall happiness. Generally speaking, people in the United States and in many other nations are more pessimistic about whether they can trust their fellow citizens to do something as simple as returning a wallet if they found it than is merited by actual actions, according to the report.  Nations, such as the Nordic nations, where residents express higher levels of faith in their countrymates, garner higher happiness scores.

 

Increased well-being is also generated by the simple act of eating meals with others—as opposed to alone, the report finds.  “Those who share more meals with others report significantly higher levels of life satisfaction and positive affect and lower levels of negative affect,” the report authors write. “This is true across ages, genders, countries, cultures, and regions.”

 

In the United States, unfortunately, the number of meals we eat all by ourselves has dramatically increased. In 2023, roughly 1 in 4 Americans reported eating all of their meals alone the previous day – an increase of 53% since 2003,” the report documents.  Young Americans are particularly likely to dine alone.

 

In a related finding, the role that strong social connections play in happiness is highlighted, along with a warning about the high rate of disconnection and resulting loneliness among young people worldwide and in the United States. “In 2023, 19% of young adults across the world reported having no one that they could count on for social support, representing a 39% increase compared to 2006,” the report documents.

 

At a time when our nation is riven with so much division, anger, and for a large portion of our population, a feeling of powerlessness, this year’s World Happiness Report provides a timely reminder that our own acts of kindness, as well our willingness to take a leap of faith and put more trust in our countrymates can not only make us happier; it can create the ripple effects that taken together can make a meaningful societal difference.  To put it in the words of George H.W. Bush, it can make us "a kinder gentler nation."