Americans aren't as happy as they used to be. The nation is no longer part of the top 20 happiest countries in the world, according to the latest edition of the World Happiness Report, a report produced by Gallup, the Oxford Wellbeing Research Center and the U.N. Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
It is the first time that the United States is not ranked in the top 20. The report is prepared based on a series of measurements and surveys that take into consideration different parameters of human development, in addition to age.
Obviously, it does not measure the cultural particularities of each country, which is something that is not very tangible and cannot be measured scientifically. Instead, other variables are taken into account such as gross domestic product per capita, legislation that influences individual freedoms, security and well-being parameters and access to healthcare.
This last parameter shows that there is a big difference in the happiness indices of young people compared to the elderly in the United States. The latter are much happier than those under the age of 30. If it were up to people 60 and older, the United States would be the tenth happiest country in the world. On the other hand, if it were up to Americans aged 30 or younger, the country would run 62nd out of the 143 countries listed in the report.
Finland tops the list again
For the seventh consecutive time, Finland, located east of the Scandinavian countries and bordering Russia, has been named the happiest place in the world, followed by Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, and Israel
Lithuania tops the list for people under the age of 30, followed by Israel, Serbia, Iceland and Denmark. When it comes to people over the age of 60, Denmark tops the list as the happiest country, along with Finland, Norway, Sweden and Iceland.
The other side of the coin
On the other hand, the report also analyzes data from countries with major economic and social problems, which are at the bottom of the list with the worst scores. Many of these countries are located in the Middle East and Africa.
Afghanistan tops many negative rankings, especially since the Taliban took control of the country. It is ranked the unhappiest country in the world, followed by Lebanon, Lesotho, Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe and Botswana.
