The Blubber

Report: U.S. Excels Economically but Struggles in Well-Being and Trust

The State of the Nation Project has released its annual progress report, painting a picture of America as a nation of extremes—marked by both exceptional successes and stark failures.

“Our national trends are improving in more areas than we are declining,” the report states. “However, compared to other countries, the opposite is true—we are declining in more areas than we are improving.”

Economic Strength vs. Declining Well-Being

The study, conducted by scholars spanning the political spectrum—including members from seven major think tanks and advisors from the last five presidential administrations—analyzed 37 key indicators across 15 categories to assess the nation’s overall well-being.

The findings reveal that:

• The U.S. economy is booming, outpacing 98% of high-income countries in economic output and 88% in productivity.
• Yet, life satisfaction is declining, and America lags behind other nations in key social and political measures.
• Voter participation and faith in democracy are in decline, with the U.S. ranking below most high-income nations in democratic support.
• Trust in government, law enforcement, and higher education is eroding.

“Nearly two-thirds of high-income countries express stronger support for democracy than the United States,” the report notes.

Mental Health and Social Challenges

Despite its economic prowess, the U.S. is struggling with a mental health crisis:

• The country ranks among the worst middle- and high-income nations in depression and anxiety prevalence, faring worse than 90% of its peers.
• The U.S. has the world’s highest rate of fatal drug overdoses.
• On child mortality, youth depression, and single-parent households, America falls in the middle or worse among wealthy nations.

These findings align with the World Happiness Report, which saw the U.S. drop out of the top 20—largely due to declining mental well-being among young people.

“We’re so wealthy, but so unhappy,” said Bradley Birzer, a historian at Hillsdale College, in an interview with The New York Times.

Economic Growth Alone Doesn’t Guarantee Well-Being

Ariel Kalil, an economist at the University of Chicago, pushed back against the assumption that a booming economy translates to greater well-being for all.

The report delves into rising social isolation and political polarization as factors contributing to America’s declining social and mental health indicators.