While Finland, the world’s happiest country, has managed to keep its No. 1 ranking for eight years running, the picture in the United States is not so rosy, a CNN report filed by Marnie Hunter said. At No. 24, the US earned its lowest ranking yet in the World Happiness Report 2025. The 13th edition of the annual report marked the United Nations International Day of Happiness on March 20, according to the CNN report.
After dropping out of the Top 20 for the first time last year, the US ranked further down this year. “The decline in the US in 2024 was at least partly attributable to Americans younger than age 30 feeling worse about their lives,” said Ilana RonLevey, Managing Director at Gallup.
Decline among young
“Today’s young people report feeling less supported by friends and family, less free to make life choices and less optimistic about their living declines among the young in numerous countries. The US isn’t the only English-speaking country with happiness challenges. At No. 23, the United Kingdom reported its lowest average life evaluation since 2017. Canada, which has seen happiness declines over the last decade, remained in the top 20 at No. 18.
In the United States and parts of Europe, declining happiness and social trust have contributed significantly to the rise of political polarisation and votes against “the system,” the report finds. But in brighter news, global research shows that people are much kinder than we expect.
“People’s fellow citizens are better than they think they are, and to realise that will make you happier, of course, but it’ll also change the way you think about your neighbours,” said John Helliwell, a founding Editor of the World Happiness Report. When it comes to happiness, the Nordic countries are clearly doing a lot of things right. For the eighth year in a row, Finland remains the world’s happiest country, with its neighboUrs clustered close behind.
“Nordic countries like Finland continue to benefit from universally available and high-quality health, education and social support systems. Inequality of wellbeing is also low,” said Ron-Levey.
Unchanged order
Finland, Denmark, Iceland and Sweden – the top four – remain in the same order as 2024. And Norway is again No. 7. The report draws on Gallup World Poll data from people in more than 140 countries. They are ranked on happiness based on their average life evaluations over the three preceding years, in this case 2022 to 2024. The report is a partnership of Gallup, the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network and an editorial board.
