Once again — for the eighth consecutive year — Finland wins the title of “World’s Happiest Country.” Nordic countries have dominated the top of the list consistently, with Denmark in second place this year, Iceland in third, and Sweden in fourth. The United States fell to its lowest level yet, 24th place out of 195 countries. The World Happiness Report’s rankings are based on each population’s average assessment of their quality of life. The report finds that sharing meals with other people is strongly linked to well-being across all global regions, with the number of people dining alone in the U.S. increasing to 53% this year. Household size also has a big impact on happiness, with the happiest households being those that have 4-5 people living together. The report found that the majority of people around the globe are much too pessimistic about kindness in their communities. “Happiness isn’t just about wealth or growth — it’s about trust, connection, and knowing that people have your back,” said Jon Clifton, CEO of Gallup.
