North America’s Youth Are Alarmingly Unhappy
What we’re showing:
A bar chart with the countries with the biggest gaps in the happiness ranks of young adults (<30) and older adults (60+). A higher number indicates a larger gap; and that the youth are far unhappier than their older counterparts.
The “Kids” Are Not Okay
Generally, young adults (those below 30) tend to be the happiest demographic. Happiness then decreases through middle age and starts increasing around 60. However, the above countries are digressing from the pattern, with the oldest generation much happier than young adults.
In the U.S. and Canada—near the top of this list—media coverage has been raising alarm bells on declining youth mental health for a while. Commenters cite a variety of contributing factors: the rise of social media, the fall in real-world interactions, the pandemic, and the impact of the ongoing climate crisis.
How is “Happiness” Calculated?
The World Happiness Report sources their data from the Gallup World Poll, which asks 1,000 respondents in nearly every country to evaluate their life on a 0–10 scale, with 10 representing the best life they could lead, and 0 the worst. Results are then averaged over three-years, and the final number taken as a “happiness” score. Countries are then ranked by their score first for the entire populace, then by specific demographics.