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The U.S. has dropped to its lowest position ever in the 2025 World Happiness Report, ranking 24th globally. Newsweek spoke to experts about what's bringing Americans down.
Why It Matters
The drop in ranking raises concerns about the overall well-being of Americans, signaling a potential need for policy changes that address social isolation and declining mental health.
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Experts attribute the U.S. decline to increasing rates of loneliness, particularly among young people. The report also notes that the number of Americans eating alone has surged by 53 percent over the past two decades.
This decline could have broader societal implications, affecting workplace productivity, community engagement, and overall life satisfaction.
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What To Know
The 2025 World Happiness Report ranked countries based on self-assessed life evaluations averaged over 2022-2024.
The report is published annually by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford alongside Gallup, the U.N. Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and an editorial board.
The report evaluates global happiness based on self-reported life satisfaction and considers key factors such as GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and perceptions of corruption.
The seemingly happiest year for Americans was in 2012 when the country ranked in 11th place, its all-time high.
However, it has steadily declined in the rankings over the years, falling to 18th in 2020, 16th in 2022, and 23rd in 2024 before reaching its lowest-ever rank of 24th in 2025.
There appears to be an age divide in happiness in the country, as for Americans over 60, the U.S. ranked in the top 10, but for those under 30, it was determined a significantly less happy place to be, sitting in 62nd place.
In addition, the rates of dining alone in the U.S. were even higher than they were during the pandemic, which could coincide with an increase in loneliness.
Roughly one in four American adults report eating all of their daily meals alone—an overall increase of more than 50 percent since 2003, the report shared.
Nordic nations continue to lead the rankings, emphasizing social cohesion and trust in institutions as key drivers of well-being.
Finland has been ranked as the happiest country in the world for the eighth successive year.
According to the report, this year's top 10 happiest countries are:
- Finland
- Denmark
- Iceland
- Sweden
- Netherlands
- Costa Rica
- Norway
- Israel
- Luxembourg
- Mexico
At the other end of the spectrum, Afghanistan remains the least happy country, followed by nations struggling with economic instability and conflict.
The report shared that this year's top 10 least happy countries are:
- Afghanistan
- Sierra Leone
- Lebanon
- Malawi
- Zimbabwe
- Botswana
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Yemen
- Comoros
- Lesotho
What People Are Saying
World Happiness Report noted: "Dining alone is not good for your wellbeing. People who eat frequently with others are a lot happier and this effect holds even taking into account household size. The increasing number of people who eat alone is one reason for declining wellbeing in the United States."
The report added: "In Europe and the United States, the decline in happiness and social trust explains a large share of the rise in political polarisation and votes against 'the system'."
Gallup Managing Director Ilana Ron Levey told CNN: "The decline in the U.S. in 2024 was at least partly attributable to Americans younger than age 30 feeling worse about their lives. Today's young people report feeling less supported by friends and family, less free to make life choices and less optimistic about their living standards."
Gallup CEO Jon Clifton told Time: "Happiness isn't just about wealth or growth—it's about trust, connection and knowing people have your back. If we want stronger communities and economies, we must invest in what truly matters: each other."
Washington, D.C.-based clinical therapist Melinda McGarvey told Newsweek: "I think there are many factors contributing to this. Through the lens of a relationship therapist, I am struck by the idea that kindness and respect no longer seem to be core values for many, and there has been a shift of focus away from being connected toward being right and trying to feel superior to others. I think this is leading to ruptured relationships and feelings of disconnection and loneliness."
She added: "Contempt seems to have become a celebrated norm in communication, especially in memes that are meant to be funny, but that disparage people with different points of view. It does not make them feel stupid, it makes them dig in and deepen the divide, which intensifies the negative feelings and fuels the cycle of disconnection, loneliness and unhappiness."
Alisha Ali, an associate professor in the Department of Applied Psychology at New York University, told Newsweek: "One factor that can undermine happiness involves concerns about the economy and about your ability to afford the basics that allow you to live comfortably. If the cost of living is high, happiness can suffer."
She added: "Another factor is that inequality and mistrust can breed unhappiness. For example, people's unhappiness can grow if they feel undervalued or mistreated by those above them in a work environment.
Professor Ali said that another factor that can lead to unhappiness is "a sense of uncertainty about the future." She told Newsweek: "As the country feels more volatile economically and politically - and as the divides between people grow - unhappiness can grow as well."
She added that, on a day-to-day basis, people's unhappiness "will grow if they feel unsafe going about their lives in environments where they used to take safety for granted."
What's Next
The decline in mental health in the U.S. over the years has prompted discussions on addressing loneliness and improving social well-being through community engagement and mental health initiatives.
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