In a recent article by John Ely, Senior Health Reporter for Mailonline, the world’s happiest countries are revealed, with Finland maintaining its top position for the seventh consecutive year. However, there’s a notable shift as Britain slips one place and the US falls out of the top 20 for the first time.
According to the report, Finland, with its population of 5.5 million, continues to hold the title of the happiest place on Earth. Conversely, Afghanistan remains at the bottom of the World Happiness Report.The UK and the US both experienced declines in their rankings among the 2024 global league table of more than 140 countries. Britain dropped to 20th place, while the US plummeted to 23rd.
Experts have also highlighted concerning trends, noting that younger adults in Europe and North America are experiencing a phenomenon akin to a ‘mid-life crisis.’ The UN-sponsored report, now in its 12th year, bases its findings on assessments of happiness from tens of thousands of individuals, as well as economic and social data. Countries are assigned happiness scores on a scale of zero to 10, averaged over a three-year period.
Inland received a score of 7.74 out of 10, while Afghanistan scored significantly lower at 1.72. For comparison, Britain scored 6.72.The decline in the US’s ranking is attributed to a decrease in well-being among individuals under 30, a demographic that ranked 62nd in happiness. In contrast, those over 60 ranked 10th.
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Finland’s consistent ranking as the happiest country underscores its success in the annual UN-sponsored index. Additionally, the report highlights disparities between generations, with individuals born before 1965 generally reporting higher levels of happiness than those born after 1980. Millennials, in particular, experience a decrease in happiness each year, contrasting with the increasing life satisfaction reported by boomers.
Professor Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, an expert in economics and behavioral science at the University of Oxford and editor of the report, emphasizes the urgent need for policy action to address the concerning drops in well-being observed, especially among children and adolescents in North America and Western Europe.
Eight of the top ten happiest nations are located in Europe, with Denmark securing second place, followed by Iceland in third. Meanwhile, Afghanistan and Lebanon remain the least happy countries, with scores of 1.72 and 2.70, respectively.
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