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Norway tops World Happiness Report, US falls
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In this Sept. 7, 2016 file photo, a smiley face is seen on a sunflower in a sunflower field in Lawrence, Kan. Over the past decade as income in the US has gone up, self-reported happiness levels have fallen fast, some of the biggest slides in the world. Yet this year, Norway vaulted to the top slot in the annual World Happiness Report despite the plummeting price of oil, a key part of its economy.
(AP/Charlie Riedel)
A
new report shows Norway is the happiest country on Earth, Americans are getting sadder, and it takes more than just money to be happy.
Norway vaulted to the top slot in the World Happiness Report despite the plummeting price of oil, a key part of its economy. Income in the United States has gone up over the past decade, but happiness is declining.
The United States was 14th in the latest ranking, down from 13th place last year, and over the years Americans steadily have been rating themselves less happy.
Norway moved from the fourth place to the top spot in the report's rankings, which combine economic, health and polling data compiled by economists that are averaged over three years from 2014 to 2016. Norway edged past previous champ Denmark, which fell to second. Iceland, Switzerland and Finland round out the top 5.
While most countries were either getting happier or at least treading water, America's happiness score dropped 5 percent over the past decade. Venezuela and the Central African Republic slipped the most over the past decade. Nicaragua and Latvia increased the most.
