Finland remains the happiest country in the world for the eighth consecutive year, according to the annual UN report on happiness, published on Thursday.
Romania has dropped three places in the ranking compared to last year, down to 35. The United States fell to 24th place, its lowest score since the report’s first publication in 2012 when it ranked 11th, its best ranking.
Sharing meals "is closely linked to well-being," write the authors, noting that "the number of people eating alone in the US has increased by 53% in the past two decades."
By 2023, about one in four Americans reported eating alone the night before, according to the report. "The increasing number of people eating alone is one of the reasons for the decline in well-being in the United States," the report emphasizes.
The United States is also one of the few countries experiencing a rise in "deaths of despair" (suicide or as a result of excessive alcohol, drugs...), at a time when these deaths are declining in most countries.
The report analyzes the behavior of populations worldwide from 2022-2024 and, therefore, is not related to the disturbances caused by Donald Trump's return to the White House.
All Nordic countries remain among the top 10 happiest, with Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden following Finland, which has slightly widened the gap with Denmark, the second-place holder.
Meanwhile, Costa Rica and Mexico have entered the top 10 for the first time, ranking sixth and tenth, respectively.
Afghanistan, gripped by a humanitarian catastrophe since the Taliban regained control in 2021, has once again been ranked as the unhappiest country in the world.
France ranked only 33rd, far behind Switzerland (13), Belgium (14), and Canada (18).
The happiness ranking is based on a three-year average of personal evaluations of life satisfaction, as well as GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and corruption.
"Nature is an important part of this happiness"
"It seems that the Finns are relatively satisfied with their lives," said AFP Frank Martela, an assistant professor specializing in well-being and happiness research at Aalto University in Espoo, near Helsinki.
This could be largely explained by the fact that Finns live in a "well-functioning society," he added.
"Democracy works well, we have free elections, freedom of expression, and low levels of corruption" that contribute to "national well-being," he continued.
All Nordic countries have relatively strong social protection systems, with parental leave, unemployment benefits, and largely universal healthcare.
Eveliina Ylitolonen, a 23-year-old student from Helsinki, believes that Finns' respect for the beauty of nature explains the level of happiness in this country, known for its deep forests and over 160,000 lakes.
"Nature is an important part of this happiness," Ylitolonen told AFP.
Jamie Sarja-Lambert, a professional video game player who moved to Finland from the UK, agrees.
"It seems that everyone is much closer to nature, goes out in the city, and socializes more to form a community," he told AFP.
In this year's report, the authors say they have new evidence that acts of generosity and belief in the kindness of others are "significant predictors of happiness, even more so than getting a higher salary."