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World Happiness Report 2025
In this year’s issue, we focus on the impact of caring and sharing on people’s happiness. Like ‘mercy’ in Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, caring is “twice-blessed” – it blesses those who give and those who receive. In this report, we investigate both of these the benefits to the recipients of caring behaviour and the benefits to those who care for others.
Some key findings jump out of the data.
First, people are much too pessimistic about the benevolence of others. For example, when wallets were dropped in the street by researchers, the proportion of returned wallets was far higher than people expected. This is hugely encouraging.
Second, our wellbeing depends on our perceptions of others’ benevolence, as well as their actual benevolence. Since we underestimate the kindness of others, our wellbeing can be improved by receiving information about their true benevolence.
Third, when society is more benevolent, the people who benefit most are those who are least happy. As a result, happiness is more equally distributed in countries with higher levels of expected benevolence.
Finally, benevolence increased during COVID-19 in every region of the world. People needed more help, and others responded. This ‘benevolence bump’ has been sustained since then. Despite a fall from 2023 to 2024, benevolent acts are still about 10% above their pre-pandemic levels.
There are many ways in which we care and share with each other. Perhaps the most universal example is sharing meals. As Chapter 3 shows, dining alone is not good for your wellbeing. People who eat frequently with others are a lot happier and this effect holds even taking into account household size. The increasing number of people who eat alone is one reason for declining wellbeing in the United States.
Another important form of caring and sharing is the family. Latin American societies, characterised by larger household sizes and strong family bonds, offer valuable lessons for other societies that seek higher and sustainable wellbeing. In Chapter 4, we see that happiness rises with household size up to four people, but above that happiness declines. Notably, people living alone are much less happy than people who live with others.
Trends towards increased loneliness are most evident among young people. In 2023, 19% of young adults across the world reported having no one they could count on for social support, a 39% increase compared to 2006. However, as we have said, they often underestimate the benevolence of other people. After a powerful intervention, students at Stanford University became much happier when given evidence of the kindness of their peers (see Chapter 5).
The opposite of happiness is despair, which can lead to death by suicide or substance abuse – also known as ‘deaths of despair’. Fortunately, deaths of this kind are falling in the majority of countries, though not in the United States or Republic of Korea. As Chapter 6 shows, deaths of despair are significantly lower in countries when more people report donating, volunteering, or helping strangers.
The degree of benevolence in a country also has a profound impact on its politics (see Chapter 7). Populism is largely due to unhappiness. But whether populists are on the left or the right depends on trust. People who trust others veer to the left, those who do not veer to the right.
For many people, how to express their benevolence is a serious question. Where should you donate your money? The logical answer is to generate as much extra happiness (or reduced unhappiness) as possible. This means choosing charities that yield the most happiness per dollar.
Some key findings jump out of the data.
First, people are much too pessimistic about the benevolence of others. For example, when wallets were dropped in the street by researchers, the proportion of returned wallets was far higher than people expected. This is hugely encouraging.
Second, our wellbeing depends on our perceptions of others’ benevolence, as well as their actual benevolence. Since we underestimate the kindness of others, our wellbeing can be improved by receiving information about their true benevolence.
Third, when society is more benevolent, the people who benefit most are those who are least happy. As a result, happiness is more equally distributed in countries with higher levels of expected benevolence.
Finally, benevolence increased during COVID-19 in every region of the world. People needed more help, and others responded. This ‘benevolence bump’ has been sustained since then. Despite a fall from 2023 to 2024, benevolent acts are still about 10% above their pre-pandemic levels.
There are many ways in which we care and share with each other. Perhaps the most universal example is sharing meals. As Chapter 3 shows, dining alone is not good for your wellbeing. People who eat frequently with others are a lot happier and this effect holds even taking into account household size. The increasing number of people who eat alone is one reason for declining wellbeing in the United States.
Another important form of caring and sharing is the family. Latin American societies, characterised by larger household sizes and strong family bonds, offer valuable lessons for other societies that seek higher and sustainable wellbeing. In Chapter 4, we see that happiness rises with household size up to four people, but above that happiness declines. Notably, people living alone are much less happy than people who live with others.
Trends towards increased loneliness are most evident among young people. In 2023, 19% of young adults across the world reported having no one they could count on for social support, a 39% increase compared to 2006. However, as we have said, they often underestimate the benevolence of other people. After a powerful intervention, students at Stanford University became much happier when given evidence of the kindness of their peers (see Chapter 5).
The opposite of happiness is despair, which can lead to death by suicide or substance abuse – also known as ‘deaths of despair’. Fortunately, deaths of this kind are falling in the majority of countries, though not in the United States or Republic of Korea. As Chapter 6 shows, deaths of despair are significantly lower in countries when more people report donating, volunteering, or helping strangers.
The degree of benevolence in a country also has a profound impact on its politics (see Chapter 7). Populism is largely due to unhappiness. But whether populists are on the left or the right depends on trust. People who trust others veer to the left, those who do not veer to the right.
For many people, how to express their benevolence is a serious question. Where should you donate your money? The logical answer is to generate as much extra happiness (or reduced unhappiness) as possible. This means choosing charities that yield the most happiness per dollar.
258 pages, Paperback
Published June 13, 2025
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About the author
John F. Helliwell
24 books3 followersJohn F. Helliwell, is a Canadian economist and editor of the World Happiness Report. He is a Senior Fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) and Co-Director of the CIFAR Programme on Social Interactions, Identity, and Well-Being; Board Director of the International Positive Psychology Association, and Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of British Columbia.
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