Happiest Countries Around The Globe Infographic

There are many people in other countries that wish to move the United States. They believe they will have a better and happier life there. But are Americans truly happy? See how the U.S. compares to other countries and find out who are the top 20 and the bottom 20 happiest countries with the infographic below.

Source: TopCounselingSchools.org

On Top of the World … Or Not: Happiness in the U.S.

The definition of happiness differs from person to person, group to group. But based on measurable data including standard of living and mental health issues, countries and their residents can be ranked and compared by their overall happiness. So where does the U.S. fall and how does it compare to nations across the globe?

In the U.S.

With a relatively high standard of living, Americans generally are happier than those in other countries around the world. But what does that really mean? What are they happiest, or unhappiest, about?

A recent Gallup poll measured Americans’ feelings about their own lives in five categories. (1) For each category, people fit into one of three groups: suffering (low and inconsistent well-being), struggling (moderate and inconsistent well-being) or thriving (strong and consistent well-being). While most of us aren’t suffering, we aren’t thriving, either.

Category Suffering Struggling Thriving

Purpose 16% 48% 37%

What it covers: Liking your daily activities and feeling motivation to achieve your goals

Social 16% 43% 41%

What it covers: Having supportive relationships and love in one’s life

Financial 23% 38% 39%

What it covers: Managing economic life to reduce stress and enhance security

Community 15% 47% 38%

What it covers: Liking where you live, feeling safe and taking pride in community

Physical 12% 56% 33%

What it covers: Having good health and ample energy to get through the day

1 in 3

Americans who identified as “very happy” in a Harris Poll survey

Why Aren’t We Happier?

With just one-third of Americans saying they’re very happy, what factors might be contributing to our moodiness?

Less than 50%

Percentage of both full- and part-time workers in the U.S. satisfied with their jobs

1 in 7

Americans living in poverty

133 million

Americans living with a chronic health condition

6.1%

U.S. unemployment rate, September 2014

3.5 million

Americans who experience homelessness each year

Around the Globe

So how do Americans stack up against people in other countries? As you might expect, we’re not the happiest, but we’re not the most miserable either. According to a United Nations analysis of national sentiment, the happiest people in the world live in Denmark, Norway, Finland and the Netherlands. The least happy?

Factors considered include:

• Income
• Political freedom
• Strong social networks
• Mental and physical health
• Family stability
• Standard of living
• Employment

Those factors and others were combined to determine each country’s life satisfaction score, on a scale of 1-10.

Top 20

Norway, 7.7

Switzerland, 7.8

Canada, 7.4

Sweden, 7.6

New Zealand, 7.2

Denmark, 7.5

Australia, 7.2

Finland, 7.4

Netherlands, 7.5

Luxembourg, 7

United States, 7

Ireland, 7

Iceland, 7.6

Germany, 6.7

Austria, 7.4

U.K., 6.9

Belgium, 6.9

Singapore, 6.5

Hong Kong, 5.5

France, 6.6

Bottom 20

Angola, 5.6

Nigeria, 5.5

Pakistan, 5.1

Mozambique, 5

Zimbabwe, 5

Mauritania, 4.7

Iraq, 4.7

Sudan, 4.6

Democratic Republic of the Congo, 4.6

Sierra Leone, 4.5

Djibouti, 4.4

Haiti, 4.4

Malawi, 4.3

Yemen, 4.1

Chad, 4

Afghanistan, 3.8

Guinea, 3.7

Burundi, 3.7

Central African Republic, 3.7

Syria, 3.2

Sources:
1. http://www.gallup.com
2. http://www.harrisinteractive.com
3. http://www.nclej.org
4. http://www.disabilityfunders.org
5. http://data.bls.gov
6. http://www.studentsagainsthunger.org
7. http://www.earth.columbia.edu
8. http://issuu.com/earthinstitute

Do you live in one of the happiest countries?