Americans Are Wealthier Than Most, But Not As Happy

How America ranks in happiness, wealth, life expectancy, work ethics and more.

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So, Which Countries Are the Happiest, Wealthiest … and Busiest?

Don’t be too shocked: The United States isn’t the world’s happiest country. But it also isn’t the least. The OECD report found that: 

The U.S ranks first in average household wealth, at $102,000 a year, with only Switzerland, at $95,000, coming close. But the OECD reports that our gap between rich and poor also ranks relatively high, with the top 20% of the American population earning about eight times as much as the bottom 20%. (Interestingly, we hear that an income of $50,000 is the amount to make us happy.)           

Americans are more satisfied with their lives than the OECD average, with 76% of people–compared with an average of 72%–saying they have more positive experiences in an average day (including feelings of rest, pride in accomplishment, enjoyment) than negative ones (including pain, worry, sadness, boredom). But we’re not the happiest: Denmark, Norway and Switzerland all outscored us on that front.  

And we don’t live the longest: The OECD findings show we lag about a year behind the report’s average, with Americans living to 79 instead of 80.

Maybe it’s all that work we do? It may not come as a surprise that people in most countries report a better balance between their career and their personal lives than we do. On that front, Denmark, Belgium and Spain are the places to be. But if you just want to pack it in and enjoy a life of leisure, don’t head to Mexico, Turkey or Japan, who proved to be home to bigger workaholics than even us.

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