‘I were but little happy, if I could say how much’: Shakespeare’s insights on happiness have held up for more than 400 years

Joanna Vanderham as Desdemona and Hugh Quarshie as the title character in a Royal Shakespeare Company production of 'Othello.' Robbie Jack/Corbis via Getty Images

What is “happiness” – and who gets to be happy?

Since 2012, the World Happiness Report has measured and compared data from 167 countries. The United States currently ranks 24th, between the U.K. and Belize – its lowest position since the report was first issued. But the 2025 edition – released on March 20, the United Nations’ annual “International Day of Happiness” – starts off not with numbers, but with Shakespeare.