Countries by Low Life Satisfaction
Complete ranking of 34 countries • Percentage of population aged 16 years or over • Updated 2026
About Life Satisfaction Score Less Than 5 Rankings
Japan leads all 34 countries in Life Satisfaction Score Less Than 5 with a value of 23.3, while Mexico ranks last at 0.03. This represents a 787-fold difference between the highest and lowest values.
What Life Satisfaction Score Less Than 5 Measures
Life Satisfaction Score Less Than 5 is a comparative indicator tracked across countries by the OECD. It provides a quantitative basis for cross-national comparison, enabling researchers and policymakers to benchmark national performance on this dimension against global peers.
Why This Ranking Matters
Examining Life Satisfaction Score Less Than 5 across all countries reveals patterns that might not be obvious at the national level. Regional clusters, outlier nations, and historical trajectories all become clearer when the full global picture is assembled in a single ranking.
Global Range
Values range from 0.03 (Mexico) to 23.3 (Japan) — a 787-fold difference across 34 countries.
Regional Patterns
European countries dominate this ranking, holding 17 of the top 20 positions. This strong regional concentration suggests shared economic, geographic, or policy factors that drive higher values across the continent.
Values are tightly clustered around the median of 5.80, with most countries falling within a narrow range. A few outliers at the extremes account for most of the overall spread.
Notable Outliers
Japan stands far above the rest, with a value 77% higher than second-place Greece. This extraordinary lead suggests unique national circumstances — geographic scale, resource endowment, or policy choices — that set it apart from even its closest competitors.
Continental Leaders
Highest Ranked
The top five countries for Life Satisfaction Score Less Than 5 are Japan (23.3), Greece (13.156), Germany (11.066), Luxembourg (8.21), and Denmark (8.05). Together, these nations represent the global leaders in this metric.
Data Source & Methodology
Rankings are based on the latest available data from OECD, covering 34 of 249 countries and territories. Countries without data for this metric are excluded from the ranking. All values represent the most recently reported figures.
Top 10 Countries
Full Rankings
| Percentile | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st |  Japan | 23.3% | Asia | 100% |
| 2nd |  Greece | 13.2% | Europe | 97% |
| 3rd |  Germany | 11.1% | Europe | 94% |
| 4th |  Luxembourg | 8.2% | Europe | 91% |
| 5th |  Denmark | 8.0% | Europe | 88% |
| 6th |  Estonia | 7.3% | Europe | 85% |
| 7th |  Canada | 7.1% | North America | 82% |
| 8th |  Spain | 7.0% | Europe | 79% |
| 9th |  France | 6.9% | Europe | 76% |
| 10th |  Hungary | 6.9% | Europe | 74% |
| 11th |  Lithuania | 6.8% | Europe | 71% |
| 12th |  South Korea | 6.7% | Asia | 68% |
| 13th |  Slovakia | 6.6% | Europe | 65% |
| 14th |  Sweden | 6.6% | Europe | 62% |
| 15th |  Portugal | 6.4% | Europe | 59% |
| 16th |  Latvia | 6.3% | Europe | 56% |
| 17th |  Norway | 5.8% | Europe | 53% |
| 18th |  United Kingdom | 5.7% | Europe | 50% |
| 19th |  Czechia | 5.5% | Europe | 47% |
| 20th |  Austria | 5.2% | Europe | 44% |
| 21st |  New Zealand | 4.8% | Oceania | 41% |
| 22nd |  Italy | 4.4% | Europe | 38% |
| 23rd |  Ireland | 4.4% | Europe | 35% |
| 24th |  Netherlands | 4.1% | Europe | 32% |
| 25th |  Switzerland | 4.1% | Europe | 29% |
| 26th |  Slovenia | 4.0% | Europe | 26% |
| 27th |  Colombia | 3.7% | North America | 24% |
| 28th |  Australia | 3.7% | Oceania | 21% |
| 29th |  Finland | 3.6% | Europe | 18% |
| 30th |  Iceland | 2.7% | Europe | 15% |
| 31st |  Belgium | 2.7% | Europe | 12% |
| 32nd |  Poland | 2.3% | Europe | 9% |
| 33rd |  Israel | 0.0% | Asia | 6% |
| 34th |  Mexico | 0.0% | North America | 3% |