U.S. and Germany Fall from Top 20 Happiest Countries

For the seventh straight year, Finland holds the title of the happiest country globally, with Brazil moving up five spots to 44th.

In South America, Brazil ranks third, just behind Uruguay (26th) and Chile (38th).

The 2024 World Happiness Report assesses happiness based on six factors: social support, income, health, freedom, generosity, and corruption levels.

Nordic nations lead, with Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden closely following Finland.

At the bottom, Afghanistan, in 143rd place, faces a severe humanitarian crisis after the Taliban’s 2020 power resurgence.

For the first time in over ten years, neither the United States (23rd) nor Germany (24th) makes the top 20.

Costa Rica and Kuwait, however, break into the top 20, standing at 12th and 13th, respectively.

Notably, the world’s most populous nations are absent from the top 20.

The report notes that only the Netherlands and Australia, among the top ten, have populations exceeding 15 million.

Canada and the United Kingdom are the only ones in the top 20, with over 30 million people.

Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Jordan have witnessed the largest happiness declines since 2006-2010, whereas Serbia, Bulgaria, and Latvia have seen significant gains.

The World Happiness Report, a yearly survey by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network since 2012, combines personal happiness assessments with economic and social data.

Jennifer De Paola, a University of Helsinki researcher, credits Finland’s happiness to its natural beauty and work-life balance.

She suggests that Finns have a more attainable view of a successful life than Americans, who often equate success with financial prosperity.

Key to happiness are trust in institutions, low corruption, and free access to healthcare and education.

The report also highlights a trend of increasing happiness among younger people, unlike older individuals in most areas.

Yet, happiness among those under 30 in North America, Australia, and New Zealand has markedly declined since 2006-2010 and is now below that of the older demographic.

In Eastern Europe, however, happiness has risen across all ages in the same timeframe.

Happiness inequality is growing in every region except Europe, a concerning development.

Happiness Rankings Overview

This year’s rankings reveal:

1. Finland
2. Denmark
3. Iceland
4. Sweden
5. Israel
6. Netherlands
7. Norway
8. Luxembourg
9. Switzerland
10. Australia
…
20. United Kingdom
23. United States
26. Uruguay
38. Chile
44. Brazil
48. Argentina
51. Japan
55. Portugal
60. China
79. Venezuela
105. Ukraine
141. Lesoto
142. Lebanon
143. Afghanistan