In the recently released 2024 World Happiness Report, Finland emerged as the happiest country for the seventh consecutive year, followed by Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Israel, and the Netherlands. However, the United States faced a significant setback, dropping to the 23rd spot from its previous 15th position. This marks the first time the U.S. has fallen out of the top 20 happiest nations list since the inception of the report 12 years ago.
The decline in U.S. happiness levels is particularly notable among young adults, with a general decrease in subjective well-being across all age groups. The report highlighted peak levels of loneliness among younger Americans, emphasizing the crucial role of social support and interpersonal relationships in overall happiness.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom also experienced a drop in happiness rankings, landing at the 20th position compared to its 19th place in the previous year's report. At the bottom of the list, Afghanistan ranked 143rd in terms of happiness.
The release of the World Happiness Report coincided with the International Day of Happiness, observed annually on March 20. The report serves as a comprehensive assessment of global happiness levels, shedding light on the factors influencing well-being across different countries.
Here is the list of the top 20 happiest countries in the world for 2024:
1. Finland
2. Denmark
3. Iceland
4. Israel
5. Netherlands
6. Sweden
7. Norway
8. Switzerland
9. Luxembourg
10. New Zealand
11. Austria
12. Australia
13. Canada
14. Ireland
15. United States
16. Germany
17. Belgium
18. Czech Republic
19. United Kingdom
20. Lithuania
