The World’s Happiest Countries

Vast differences in well-being exist between the happiest and least happy nations.

Finland maintained its status as the world’s happiest country, while the United States slipped a notch to № 19, according to the latest annual World Happiness Report, released March 20, 2019. Here’s how some of the 156 countries placed, based on Gallup Polls, as analyzed by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network:

The report — which should be taken with at least a few grains of salt given that it relies on somewhat unreliable self-reporting, and that it reflects averages that don’t speak to any specific individuals’ well-being — revealed several trends. One that jumped out at researchers who analyzed the data:

Happiness in the United States, among both adults and adolescents, has generally declined and is lower now than at the turn of the millennium, the researchers said. Smartphones and other digital technology may be playing a role, but are not the sole cause.

“The compulsive pursuit of substance abuse and addictive behaviors is causing severe unhappiness.”

“This year’s report provides sobering evidence of how addictions are causing considerable unhappiness and depression in the US,” said Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Sustainable…