Key Points
- Australia has dropped out of the top 10 in the latest global happiness ranking.
- Finland retains the title of the happiest country in the world for the eighth year in a row.
- The US has dropped to its lowest-ever position at 24.
Australia has dropped out of the top 10 in the latest global happiness ranking, coming in at 11th, with New Zealand closely following at 12th.
The rankings show Australia trailing behind Israel, Mexico, and the Nordic countries, while Finland retains the title of the happiest country in the world for the eighth consecutive year.
Following the Nordic nation are Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden, according to the World Happiness Report published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford.
The rankings are based on three-year averages of self-reported wellbeing scores from participants across 147 countries, measured on a scale of zero to ten.
It asks respondents to place themselves on a rung of an imaginary ladder, ranging from the worst to the best possible version of their lives.
The study was done in partnership with the analytics firm Gallup and the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
Trust, kindness and social connection
Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, an editor of the report and professor of economics at the University of Oxford, said this year's results encourage consideration of nontraditional indicators like health and wealth.
"It turns out that sharing meals and trusting others are even stronger predictors of wellbeing than expected," he said.
"In this era of social isolation and political polarisation, we need to find ways to bring people around the table again — doing so is critical for our individual and collective wellbeing."
Researchers found that, beyond health and wealth, factors like sharing meals with others, having someone to rely on for social support, and household size play a key role in happiness.
They said people often underestimate the impact of others' kindness.
Jeffrey D Sachs, president of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, said it is up to people to translate the findings into positive action.
"The findings in this year’s World Happiness Report reconfirm a fundamental truth: happiness is rooted in trust, kindness, and social connection."
Israel and Mexico rise in happiness rankings, while US and UK drop
While European countries dominate the top 20 in the ranking, there were some exceptions.
Despite the war with Hamas, Israel came in at eighth. Costa Rica and Mexico entered the top 10 for the first time, ranking at sixth and 10th respectively.
When it comes to decreasing happiness — or growing unhappiness —the United States has dropped to its lowest-ever position at 24, having previously peaked at 11th place in 2012.
The report also states that the number of people dining alone in the US has increased 53 per cent over the past two decades.
The United Kingdom, at position 23, is reporting its lowest average life evaluation since the 2017 report.
Afghanistan is again ranked as the unhappiest country in the world, with Afghan women saying their lives are especially difficult.
Sierra Leone in West Africa is the second unhappiest, followed by Lebanon, ranking third from the bottom.
