Greece has slipped 17 spots in the latest World Happiness Report, landing at 81st place out of over 140 countries, as reported by cnn.com.
Released on Thursday to coincide with the UN’s International Day of Happiness, the report signals a notable decline in how Greeks perceive their quality of life. In contrast, Cyprus ranks higher at 67th.
Finland continues its reign as the world’s happiest nation for the eighth year running, boasting an average life evaluation score of 7.736 out of 10. Meanwhile, the United States has hit a record low, dropping to 24th, amid wider trends of decreasing happiness and social trust in parts of Europe and North America.
Based on Gallup World Poll data from 2022 to 2024, the World Happiness Report evaluates six core factors: GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and perceptions of corruption. The study is a joint effort by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network and the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, offering a snapshot of global life satisfaction.
Despite the downturn, John Helliwell, the report’s founding editor, strikes an optimistic tone: “People’s fellow citizens are better than they think they are, and to realize that will make you happier, of course, but it’ll also change the way you think about your neighbors.” He adds, “There’s room for improvement in believing that we’re all part of a larger group that looks out for each other.”
