The US fell to its lowest-ever ranking in the 2025 edition of the World Happiness Report amid rising social isolation and political polarisation, while Finland and other Nordic countries remained at the top of the index.

Published on Thursday by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford in partnership with Gallup and the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the report evaluates various factors, including health, wealth, freedom, generosity, and freedom from corruption, to measure overall happiness across societies based on self-reported assessments from 147 countries.

Finland continued in the top spot this year, followed by Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Costa Rica, Norway, Israel, Luxembourg, and Mexico.

At the bottom of the index, Afghanistan ranked the lowest, followed by Sierra Leone, Lebanon, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Yemen, Comoros and Lesotho.

The United States ranked 24th, one spot lower than last year, continuing its downward trajectory from a high of 11th place in 2012, when the survey began.

The report highlighted growing unhappiness in the US, noting an increasing preference for eating alone.

?In 2023, roughly one in four Americans reported eating all of their meals alone the previous day ? an increase of 53 percent since 2003,? the report stated.

?Dining alone has become more prevalent across all age groups, but especially among young people.?

The report also pointed to a rise in ?deaths of despair? in the US, which contradicts a global downward trend. Since 2000, such deaths have declined by 75 percent across 59 countries, though they remain high in nations like South Korea and Slovenia.

Researchers suggested that rising unhappiness may contribute to growing political polarisation ? a trend also observed in Europe.

?The decline in life satisfaction explains the overall rise in anti-system votes, but trust in others then comes into play. Among unhappy individuals drawn to the extremes of the political spectrum, those with low trust are more often found on the far right, whereas high-trust individuals are more inclined to vote for the far left,? the report noted.

The sense of social isolation in the US contrasts with countries like Mexico, which broke into the list of top 10 happiest countries this year. According to the report, factors such as regularly sharing meals and living in larger households contribute to wellbeing.

?Sharing meals has a strong impact on subjective well-being ? on par with the influence of income and unemployment,? the World Happiness Report stated. ?This is true across ages, genders, countries, cultures, and regions.?

Larger households also ?offer a potential advantage in fostering positive social interactions?, which may explain why Mexico and Costa Rica ? ranked sixth this year ? score as highly as many European countries despite having lower overall wealth, according to the report.

?Latin American societies, characterised by larger household sizes and strong family bonds, offer valuable lessons for other nations seeking higher and more sustainable wellbeing,? the report added.

Another key finding was the strong correlation between happiness and the belief that someone would return a lost wallet. While seemingly a small act, Jon Clifton, CEO of Gallup, emphasised that it reflects deeper societal forces.

?Happiness isn?t just about wealth or economic growth ? it?s about trust, connection, and knowing people have your back,? he said in the report. ?If we want stronger communities and economies, we must invest in what truly matters: each other.?

Social cohesion and a robust social safety net were common characteristics of the highest-ranking countries. (Al Jazeera)

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