In the latest World Happiness Report, released Thursday, Canada has dropped to 18th place, down from 15th last year.
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This marks the nation's lowest ranking since the polls began in 2005; Canada had previously secured 5th place in 2015. During a protest against U.S. President Donald Trump on March 4, 2025, a demonstrator waves a small Canadian flag. The annual report indicates that Canada's decline places it among the "largest decliners" in happiness throughout the past two decades. The United States has similarly dropped to its lowest ever rank at 24th, having reached 11th place in 2012, while the U.K. has fallen to 23rd. For the eighth consecutive year, Finland has been identified as the happiest country in the world, according to the report published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford.
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The report notes, "Overall, Western industrial nations are less happy now than they were between 2005 and 2010. In 2013, all top ten countries were from the Western industrial sector; now only seven remain." While rankings are based on individuals rating their own lives, the authors identify six key factors that account for differences between countries: the availability of social support, GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and perceptions of corruption.
Canada ranked 15th and 16th globally for perceptions of corruption and GDP, respectively, but scored a low 35th for social support and 68th for freedom to make life choices. Around 18% of Canadians reported dissatisfaction with their freedoms. Young people's happiness levels have sharply declined in both Canada and the U.S., according to global rankings. Researchers believe that happiness is often viewed as an individual concern, but it can also reflect broader societal issues. Felix Cheung, a Canada Research Chair in population well-being and assistant professor at the University of Toronto, emphasizes that "When a country is unhappy, it reflects structural problems," and such issues require systemic solutions. This year's decline continues a downward trend observed in Canadians' quality of life assessments over the last decade, particularly affecting those under 30. Marginalized groups—such as the 2SLGBTQI+ community, individuals with low income, and First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people—report the lowest life satisfaction. Particularly, Canadians struggling with mental health issues express high levels of dissatisfaction. Cheung points out that shifts in what it means to be a young adult in Canada—such as challenges in housing affordability and social instability—have been ongoing well before the COVID-19 pandemic. "Young people feel that hard work does not necessarily lead to upward mobility, which is a significant issue to address," he notes. The World Happiness Report underscores the substantial influence of economic factors on Canada's ranking, but it also highlights the importance of human connections. Simple actions, like sharing meals with others and having reliable social support, contribute significantly to happiness.
Canadians ranked 53rd globally for meal sharing, with an average of 8.4 shared meals per week. The belief in the kindness of others appears to be more closely tied to happiness than previously understood. The report shows that individuals often underestimate the willingness of others to help; for example, a study in Toronto found that while people expected only a 23% return rate for lost wallets, over 80% were actually returned. Conducted in partnership with the analytics firm Gallup and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the survey involved around 100,000 individuals across 140 countries and territories. Jon Clifton, CEO of Gallup, stated, "Happiness isn't solely linked to wealth or growth—it's about trust, connection, and knowing people have your back. To build stronger communities and economies, we must invest in one another." Besides Finland, the top four happy nations remain Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden. Notably, despite ongoing conflict, Israel ranked 8th, while Costa Rica and Mexico achieved their first entries into the top ten at 6th and 10th, respectively.
Afghanistan was again ranked as the unhappiest country in the world, with Afghan women particularly facing severe challenges, followed by Sierra Leone and Lebanon. The report aims to provoke discussion about what constitutes national success, with Cheung advocating for happiness to be a central component of that dialogue.
Source@ Tablesalt
Edited:Bosman
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