Where The Young Are More Or Less Happy Than The Old In 2024

The map above shows where in the world young people (defined as under 30) are happier or less happy than older people (over 60). The Data is based off the 2024 World Happiness Report.

Here are some of the key findings:

Canada had the biggest decrease in happiness in the Young compared to the Old, followed closely by the United States.
Croatia had the largest increases in happiness in the Young compared to the Old, followed closely by Serbia.
In 25 out 143 countries young people were less happy than their fellow older citizens
In 118 countries (out of 143) young people are happier than the old
Denmark and Finland had the overall happies old people.
Lithuania and Israel had the overall happiest young people.

One important caveat about our findings is that they look at the absolute difference in score between old and young within a country. It is not an absolute measure of happiness relative to other countries.

For example, let’s look at Canada & Afghanistan:

The happiness score for older people in Canada was 7.343 (8th happiest) while for youth it was 6.439 (58th happiest). Compare that to Afghanistan, where older people reported a happiness score of just 1.456 (143rd) and youth reported a score of 1.827 (143rd).

So the youth in Afghanistan are relatively happier than their older counterparts, but remain far less happy than Canadian youth.

Or put another way, Canadian youths are still happier than more than half the countries in the survey, just that they are doing relatively worse than their older counterparts.

And if you’re curious here’s the raw data:

Old	Happiness Score For The Old	Happiness Score For The Young	Difference In Score
Canada	7.343	6.439	0.904
United States	7.258	6.392	0.866
Norway	7.66	6.995	0.665
Finland	7.912	7.3	0.612
Mauritius	6.388	5.791	0.597
Denmark	7.916	7.329	0.587
Sweden	7.588	7.026	0.562
New Zealand	7.39	6.859	0.531
United Arab Emirates	7.248	6.732	0.516
China	6.359	5.949	0.41
Uzbekistan	6.633	6.283	0.35
Australia	7.304	7.013	0.291
Myanmar	4.626	4.354	0.272
Algeria	5.631	5.379	0.252
Sierra Leone	3.471	3.225	0.246
Chad	4.689	4.462	0.227
Mauritania	4.691	4.517	0.174
Laos	5.256	5.091	0.165
Germany	6.734	6.578	0.156
Netherlands	7.36	7.248	0.112
Madagascar	4.416	4.334	0.082
United Kingdom	6.812	6.754	0.058
Kuwait	7.154	7.104	0.05
Guinea	5.128	5.106	0.022
Niger	4.634	4.616	0.018
Singapore	6.477	6.484	-0.007
Iceland	7.585	7.598	-0.013
Ireland	6.932	6.954	-0.022
Hong Kong SAR of China	5.297	5.329	-0.032
France	6.524	6.561	-0.037
Switzerland	7.084	7.138	-0.054
Mongolia	5.701	5.758	-0.057
Bangladesh	4.124	4.2	-0.076
Yemen	3.74	3.822	-0.082
Japan	6.146	6.232	-0.086
Luxembourg	7.214	7.301	-0.087
Burkina Faso	4.505	4.601	-0.096
Malta	6.353	6.452	-0.099
Spain	6.363	6.463	-0.1
Libya	5.835	5.937	-0.102
Belgium	6.842	6.947	-0.105
Mali	4.211	4.332	-0.121
Liberia	4.534	4.67	-0.136
Egypt	3.969	4.126	-0.157
India	4.095	4.281	-0.186
Saudi Arabia	6.431	6.617	-0.186
Austria	6.939	7.142	-0.203
Nepal	5.259	5.467	-0.208
Malawi	3.498	3.71	-0.212
Uruguay	6.561	6.775	-0.214
Costa Rica	6.932	7.15	-0.218
Kyrgyzstan	5.687	5.935	-0.248
Jamaica	5.529	5.826	-0.297
Cambodia	4.401	4.699	-0.298
Brazil	6.124	6.436	-0.312
Kazakhstan	6	6.324	-0.324
Venezuela	5.57	5.896	-0.326
Philippines	5.976	6.305	-0.329
Tanzania	3.826	4.161	-0.335
Afghanistan	1.456	1.827	-0.371
Gambia	4.346	4.735	-0.389
Tunisia	4.167	4.56	-0.393
Bahrain	5.64	6.034	-0.394
Estonia	6.164	6.599	-0.435
Benin	4.206	4.665	-0.459
State of Palestine	4.643	5.12	-0.477
Turkiye	4.694	5.173	-0.479
Italy	6.119	6.618	-0.499
Lebanon	2.49	2.997	-0.507
Togo	3.79	4.323	-0.533
Mozambique	4.804	5.352	-0.548
Poland	6.051	6.605	-0.554
Ethiopia	3.563	4.125	-0.562
South Africa	5.083	5.65	-0.567
Sri Lanka	3.772	4.339	-0.567
Cameroon	4.428	4.996	-0.568
Ivory Coast	4.682	5.251	-0.569
Ghana	3.839	4.426	-0.587
Bolivia	5.565	6.157	-0.592
Thailand	6.001	6.597	-0.596
Czechia	6.591	7.198	-0.607
Tajikistan	4.888	5.5	-0.612
Taiwan Province of China	6.284	6.908	-0.624
Zimbabwe	3.021	3.661	-0.64
Colombia	5.393	6.035	-0.642
Jordan	4.024	4.667	-0.643
Congo (Brazzaville)	4.918	5.574	-0.656
Guatemala	5.887	6.548	-0.661
Mexico	6.287	6.954	-0.667
Chile	5.946	6.662	-0.716
Iran	4.596	5.331	-0.735
Congo (Kinshasa)	2.703	3.441	-0.738
Kenya	4.134	4.906	-0.772
Russia	5.544	6.328	-0.784
Argentina	5.948	6.746	-0.798
Slovenia	6.31	7.111	-0.801
Iraq	4.684	5.486	-0.802
Namibia	4.285	5.089	-0.804
Comoros	3.305	4.111	-0.806
Israel	6.854	7.667	-0.813
Honduras	5.645	6.462	-0.817
Eswatini	3.075	3.894	-0.819
Vietnam	5.521	6.363	-0.842
Kosovo	6.096	6.949	-0.853
Cyprus	5.665	6.525	-0.86
South Korea	5.642	6.503	-0.861
Nicaragua	5.904	6.789	-0.885
Lesotho	2.808	3.7	-0.892
Senegal	4.366	5.266	-0.9
Pakistan	4.03	4.949	-0.919
Indonesia	5.159	6.089	-0.93
Azerbaijan	4.417	5.352	-0.935
Malaysia	5.418	6.372	-0.954
Latvia	5.811	6.766	-0.955
Greece	5.534	6.502	-0.968
Morocco	4.293	5.281	-0.988
Portugal	5.571	6.588	-1.017
Gabon	4.457	5.477	-1.02
Slovakia	5.641	6.674	-1.033
Peru	5.313	6.382	-1.069
Dominican Republic	5.269	6.407	-1.138
Nigeria	3.72	4.906	-1.186
Panama	5.687	6.883	-1.196
Hungary	5.474	6.72	-1.246
Zambia	2.484	3.794	-1.31
Georgia	4.719	6.031	-1.312
Uganda	3.403	4.718	-1.315
El Salvador	5.716	7.057	-1.341
Armenia	4.865	6.245	-1.38
Romania	5.902	7.284	-1.382
Botswana	2.528	4.012	-1.484
Bosnia and Herzegovina	5.241	6.746	-1.505
Ecuador	4.927	6.437	-1.51
Ukraine	4.279	5.907	-1.628
North Macedonia	4.658	6.329	-1.671
Paraguay	5.013	6.715	-1.702
Albania	4.643	6.358	-1.715
Lithuania	5.965	7.759	-1.794
Bulgaria	4.775	6.621	-1.846
Montenegro	4.674	6.536	-1.862
Moldova	4.896	6.786	-1.89
Serbia	5.696	7.658	-1.962
Croatia	5.137	7.116	-1.979

Here are some key reasons why youth in certain countries may be less happy than older adults:

Economic Uncertainty: Young people often face economic instability, including unemployment or underemployment, student debt, and high living costs. These financial pressures can significantly impact their happiness.
Social Media and Technology: Increased use of social media and technology among youth can lead to issues such as cyberbullying, social comparison, and decreased face-to-face interactions, which can negatively affect their mental well-being.
Educational and Career Pressures: High expectations and competition in education and career paths can cause stress and anxiety among young people.
Global and Local Crises: Events like the COVID-19 pandemic, political instability, and climate change can create a sense of uncertainty and fear about the future, impacting young people’s happiness.
Mental Health Issues: There is a rising trend of mental health issues among youth, including depression and anxiety, partly due to the aforementioned factors. Access to mental health services can also vary significantly across different countries.
Social Support and Loneliness: The level of social support and feelings of loneliness play crucial roles in determining happiness. Youth may feel less supported and more isolated compared to older adults who might have more established social networks.
Changes in Happiness Inequality: Since 2006-2010, the inequality of happiness has increased in many regions, particularly affecting the younger population more than the older adults.

And looking at the US & Canada in particular:

Youth in the United States and Canada are experiencing a significant decline in happiness compared to older generations, and several factors contribute to this trend:

Housing and Cost of Living: The rising cost of living, particularly housing affordability, is a significant stressor for young people. Many feel that despite hard work, achieving a “good life” with home ownership and financial stability remains out of reach.
Overall Life Satisfaction Decline: There has been a general decline in happiness across all age groups in the US and Canada over the past 15 years, but the impact has been more severe on the youth, indicating broader societal issues affecting the younger population more intensely.
Loneliness and Social Isolation: Young people in the US and Canada report higher levels of loneliness and social isolation than their older counterparts. The lack of meaningful social interactions exacerbates feelings of unhappiness and disconnection.
Economic Pressures: Young people in North America face considerable economic challenges, including high living costs, student debt, and difficulties in entering the job market. These financial stresses contribute significantly to lower life satisfaction among the youth compared to older adults who are more likely to have stable incomes and fewer financial uncertainties.
Social Media and Mental Health: The pervasive use of social media among younger generations can lead to negative outcomes such as cyberbullying, social comparison, and reduced face-to-face interactions. These issues contribute to higher levels of anxiety, depression, and loneliness among young people.
Lack of Social Support: Younger people report feeling less supported by friends and family compared to older generations. This lack of social support is critical because it significantly impacts their overall happiness and sense of security.
Perceptions of Government and Corruption: There is a lower level of trust in government and higher perceptions of corruption among the youth. This distrust can lead to feelings of instability and disillusionment with societal structures, further diminishing their happiness.

These insights are derived from multiple sources including the 2024 World Happiness Report and various analyses from news outlets and research studies (Global News) (Psychology Today) (RAPPLER) (Greater Good).

And looking at the situation in reverse here are some reasons why most young people remain happier than the old:

Young people in most countries are generally happier than older adults for several reasons, which are supported by various aspects of psychological, social, and economic factors:

Physical Health: Young people tend to have better physical health compared to older adults. Good health is a significant determinant of happiness because it enables individuals to engage in activities they enjoy without physical limitations (Global News) (Greater Good).
Optimism and Future Orientation: Young people often have a more optimistic outlook on life. They look forward to future achievements and milestones such as completing education, starting a career, and forming families. This forward-looking perspective tends to boost their overall happiness (RAPPLER).
Social Connections: Younger individuals typically have more active social lives with frequent interactions with friends and peers. These social connections provide emotional support and contribute to their sense of belonging and happiness (Psychology Today) (Greater Good).
Fewer Responsibilities: Compared to older adults, young people usually have fewer responsibilities and pressures. They are less likely to be burdened with concerns about health issues, financial security, or caregiving responsibilities, which can weigh heavily on older adults (RAPPLER).
Exploration and Learning: The period of youth is often marked by exploration and learning, which can be exciting and fulfilling. Engaging in new experiences and acquiring knowledge contribute to a sense of purpose and satisfaction (Global News).
Positive Emotions and Experiences: Young people tend to experience higher frequencies of positive emotions such as joy, excitement, and interest. These emotions are linked to engaging in activities that are enjoyable and novel, contributing to higher overall happiness (Greater Good).
Perception of Freedom: Younger individuals generally perceive greater freedom to make life choices and pursue their interests. This perceived autonomy is a critical factor in their life satisfaction and happiness (Greater Good).