Death, taxes, and Finland ranking as the happiest country in the world are all certainties in this world. But Canada’s place among the world’s cheeriest nations is no longer a sure thing.
Driving the news: Canada slipped to 25th in the latest World Happiness Report, the lowest it’s ever ranked in the 14 years the list has been published — that’s seven spots lower than last year, and a far cry from our sixth-place finish a decade ago.
It’s gotten to the point that Canada now ranks lower than the U.S. — you know, that hateful and divisive tire fire many of us like to look down upon — which placed 23rd.
Zoom in: Canada’s precipitous decline in life satisfaction is being led by young folks (and it goes beyond regular old teen angst). The nation’s most hopeful cohort a decade ago is now its most pessimistic, with Canada ranking 71st out of 136 for happiness among under-25s.
The picture is even more troubling when you pull back: over a 10-year period, the drop in life satisfaction for under-25s in Canada was the fourth worst in the world.
Why it matters: The cause of growing dissatisfaction with life among young Canadians isn't surprising — the report cites social media, experts point to economic anxiety… no duh — but that doesn’t make this any less concerning for the future of our nation’s mental health.
Yes, but: The majority of Canadians, even young ones, are still either very satisfied or fairly satisfied with life. And some experts are hopeful that the national frown can be turned upside down, as the speed at which happiness has dropped signals that it can be improved.—QH