The United States has dropped to its lowest happiness ranking ever, in part due to a growing number of Americans eating their meals alone, according to an annual UN-sponsored report released Thursday.
Finland claimed the title of the world’s happiest country for the eighth consecutive year in the World Happiness Report, with locals and experts crediting the nation’s vast lakes and robust welfare system for its continued top ranking.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan, grappling with a humanitarian crisis since the Taliban reclaimed power in 2020, once again ranked as the world’s unhappiest country.
The United States fell to 24th place, marking its lowest ranking since the report was first published in 2012. The country initially debuted at number 11, its highest placement to date.
“The number of people dining alone in the United States has increased 53 percent over the past two decades,” the report stated, emphasizing that meal-sharing is closely linked to overall well-being.
In 2023, approximately one in four Americans reported eating all their meals alone on the previous day, the study found.
“The increasing number of people who eat alone is one reason for declining well-being in the United States,” the report concluded.
Additionally, the report highlighted a troubling trend: the United States was one of the few countries to experience a rise in ‘deaths of despair’, including those caused by suicide or substance abuse, even as such fatalities declined in most other nations.
Nordic nations remain the happiest in the world
The report, which surveyed individuals worldwide between 2022 and 2024, was compiled before US President Donald Trump’s return to office in January 2025, which has since shaken up both national and global affairs.
The Nordic nations maintained their stronghold in the top 10 happiest countries, with Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden trailing closely behind Finland, which extended its lead over runner-up Denmark.
Additionally, Costa Rica and Mexico made their debut in the top 10, securing the sixth and tenth spots, respectively.
The happiness rankings are determined by a three-year average of participants’ self-assessed life satisfaction, alongside factors such as GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and corruption levels.
Why are Finns so happy?
“It seems that Finnish people are relatively satisfied with their lives,” said Frank Martela, an assistant professor specializing in well-being and happiness research at Aalto University.
He attributed this to Finland’s well-functioning society, emphasizing key factors such as:
Strong democracy with free elections and low corruption
Universal healthcare and robust welfare benefits
Generous parental leave and unemployment benefits
“Democracy is functioning well, we have free elections, free speech, and low levels of corruption—all of which contribute to national well-being,” Martela explained.
For many Finns, nature plays an essential role in their happiness.
“Nature is an important part of this happiness,” said Eveliina Ylitolonen, a 23-year-old student in Helsinki.
Finland is famous for its dense forests and over 160,000 lakes, which locals say contribute to their high levels of life satisfaction.
“Seems like everyone is a lot more in touch with nature, going outside and socializing—a stronger sense of community,” said Jamie Sarja-Lambert, a professional video gamer from the UK who relocated to Finland.
Generosity and Trust: Key predictors of happiness
This year’s World Happiness Report also presented new findings indicating that acts of generosity and trust in others are even stronger predictors of happiness than income levels.
“People tend to underestimate the kindness of their communities,” the report noted.
For instance, studies found that the return rate of lost wallets is significantly higher than most people expect, particularly in Nordic countries, which consistently rank among the top nations for honesty and trustworthiness.
