Over the years, the use of antidepressants has increased significantly worldwide. According to a report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Iceland, Portugal, and the United Kingdom were among the top countries with the highest consumption rate of antidepressants in 2022. Iceland had the highest consumption rate, with approximately 157.3 defined daily doses (DDD) per 1,000 individuals.
In the last two decades, the consumption of antidepressants in Europe has more than doubled. The usage of antidepressant pharmaceuticals per 1,000 individuals per day varied from 24.3 DDD (defined daily doses) in Latvia to 157.3 DDD in Iceland. Portugal (150.5 DDD), the United Kingdom (138.2 DDD), Canada (134 DDD), and Australia (127.9 DDD) followed suit.
How do researchers explain the high usage of antidepressants in the world’s happiest countries? Is there any correlation between happiness and the use of antidepressants?
Research conducted in European countries has shown that there is no direct correlation between happiness and the consumption of antidepressants. For example, Iceland, which was ranked third in the world’s happiest country list of 2024 by CEOWORLD magazine, has the highest rate of antidepressant consumption in Europe. Similarly, Sweden ranked sixth in the 2024 Global Happiness Report, has the 6th-highest rate of antidepressant use.
The Finnish, who were the happiest nation according to the report, used 85.2 DDD antidepressants, placing Finland 11th out of 32 countries. Latvia, which has the lowest consumption of antidepressants with 24.3 daily doses, ranked 41st in the World Happiness Report. Hungary follows Latvia with 30.3 DDD and was in the 51st place on the happiness list.
Countries with Most Antidepressant Users in the World, 2024
| Rank | Country | Daily intake of antidepressants per 1,000 people | Global Happiness Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iceland | 157.3 | 3 |
| 2 | Portugal | 150.5 | 56 |
| 3 | United Kingdom | 138.2 | 19 |
| 4 | Canada | 134 | 13 |
| 5 | Australia | 127.9 | 12 |
| 6 | Sweden | 114.5 | 6 |
| 7 | Spain | 98.4 | 32 |
| 8 | New Zealand | 96 | 10 |
| 9 | Chile | 94.3 | 35 |
| 10 | Belgium | 86.2 | 17 |
| 11 | Finland | 85.2 | 1 |
| 12 | Denmark | 84.6 | 2 |
| 13 | Greece | 73.1 | 58 |
| 14 | Czech Republic | 69.4 | 18 |
| 15 | Slovenia | 68.4 | 22 |
| 16 | Germany | 64 | 16 |
| 17 | Austria | 63.5 | 11 |
| 18 | Norway | 63.1 | 7 |
| 19 | Israel | 61.8 | 4 |
| 20 | France | 57.6 | 21 |
| 21 | Luxembourg | 53.1 | 9 |
| 22 | Turkey | 52.5 | 106 |
| 23 | Netherlands | 48.5 | 5 |
| 24 | Italy | 45.5 | 33 |
| 25 | Slovak Republic | 44.7 | 29 |
| 26 | Estonia | 44.5 | 31 |
| 27 | Lithuania | 37.4 | 20 |
| 28 | Croatia | 37.1 | 48 |
| 29 | Costa Rica | 34.5 | 23 |
| 30 | South Korea | 31.1 | 57 |
| 31 | Hungary | 30.3 | 51 |
| 32 | Latvia | 24.3 | 41 |
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