A nation in the Middle East, despite enduring conflict, has surpassed the US in terms of the happiness of its citizens.
According to this year’s World Happiness Report, the US has fallen to its lowest position ever. This report annually ranks countries based on their citizens’ perceived quality of life.
Released on International Day of Happiness, the report evaluates 147 countries by gauging residents’ quality of life perceptions.
Finland maintains its top spot as the happiest country for the eighth year in a row. Meanwhile, certain countries’ positions on the list may raise eyebrows for some observers.
The report, a collaborative effort by Gallup, the United Nations, and the University of Oxford, draws data from over 140 countries annually.
Remarkably, Israel, despite its ongoing conflict with Hamas, ranks eighth on the list.
Hostilities between Israel and Hamas erupted in October 2023 following a lethal attack by the Palestinian militant group on Israel, resulting in 1,200 casualties and approximately 250 hostages.
In January, a deal was reached between the two parties to cease hostilities and facilitate hostage release.
Nevertheless, the ceasefire seems to have unraveled this month as Israel initiated airstrikes on alleged Hamas targets in Gaza.
The Israeli military justified these actions as ‘pre-emptive strikes… based on Hamas’s readiness to execute terror attacks, build up force and re-arm’.
The prime minister’s office stated the attacks were a response to ‘repeated refusal to release our hostages’.
In contrast, Hamas alleged that Israel had ‘decided to overturn the ceasefire agreement’.
The US has slipped one place in the happiness rankings this year, now standing at 24th, having once reached as high as 11th place in 2012.
Factors impacting American happiness include solitary dining habits, with the number of Americans eating alone having increased dramatically over the past two decades.
“In 2023, roughly 1 in 4 Americans reported eating all of their meals alone the previous day — an increase of 53% since 2003,” the study highlighted.
The trend of dining alone has grown across all age groups, notably among younger individuals.
Additionally, the report pointed to increased political polarization and anti-system voting trends affecting the US’s standings. “The country-wide evolution of happiness and trust is highly associated with the rise in the likelihood of voting for anti-system parties in Western Europe and the United States,” it stated.