Helsinki, Finland:
The World Happiness Report 2025 has just been published and, for the eighth year running, Finland is ranked the happiest country in the world. Afghanistan is ranked the most unhappiest country.
Compiled by the University of Oxford's Wellbeing Research Centre, in partnership with Gallup and the United Nations' Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the annual study involves an assessment of a country's happiness. Respondents, sampled across nearly 150 countries, are asked to evaluate their happiness. About 50 countries, such as Cuba and North Korea, weren't included in the study.
On top of the subjective self-assessments of happiness, the study used six more objective measures of happiness - namely, GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and freedom from corruption - in their analysis.
Below are a selection of countries with their ranking:
Finland (1)
Denmark (2)
Iceland (3)
Sweden (4)
Netherlands (5)
Costa Rica (6)
Norway (7)
Israel (8)
Mexico (10)
Australia (11)
Ireland (15)
Canada (18)
Germany (22)
Britain (23)
USA (24)
Saudi Arabia (32)
France (33)
Singapore (34)
Brazil (36)
Spain (38)
Italy (40)
Panama (41)
Japan (55)
Philippines (57)
South Korea (58)
Russia (66)
China (68)
Jamaica (73)
Greece (81)
Turkey (94)
South Africa (95)
Iran (99)
Nigeria (105)
Pakistan (109)
Ukraine (111)
India (118)
Egypt (135)
Zimbabwe (143)
Lebanon (145)
Afghanistan (147)
Not surprisingly, the study confirmed the links between wealth and happiness. People living in richer countries are generally happier than those living in poorer countries. However, there is a correlation between the distribution of wealth and happiness. People living in more equal societies are generally happier than those living in less equal societies.
The study strongly suggested that countries with strong welfare and social support systems are the happiest countries. About one-fifth of young adults worldwide have no one they can turn to for social support. That is a one sad and concerning finding.
The study found that strangers are nearly twice as kind as people think as measured by its 'lost wallet' experiment. It found that twice as many people returned a lost wallet than predicted. Believing in the kindness of others is closely tied to happiness.
The study also found that sharing meals with others is closely linked with wellbeing. It reported that the number of Americans eating alone has increased by over 50 per cent over the last two decades. Perhaps this partly explains why America has dropped to its lowest ever ranking in the happiness league table.
Researchers argued that increasing political polarisation in America and parts of Europe is connected to declining trust and declining happiness. For Jeffrey Sachs, an eminent economist and co-editor of the study's report, its findings confirmed that "happiness is rooted in trust, kindness and social connection". The Director of the University of Oxford's Wellbeing Research Centre, Jan-Emmanuel Neve, argued: "In this era of social isolation and political polarisation we need to find ways to bring people around the table again - doing so is critical for our individual and collective wellbeing."
Kabul, Afghanistan:
18
21 comments
Hmmm... it seems to me that some people confuse "Happiness" with economic well-being... it's not the same, not by a long shot! Some of those countries at the top of the happiness list are also the leaders in suicide rates... or "hidden" alcoholism, right? Isn't that a contradiction? I've always been completely skeptical about those so-called 'scientifically' (wink-wink) crafted rankings from institutions that are more than questionable and always have the same bias. Anyway, interesting ranking. By the way... has anyone dared to ask women in Afghanistan? ...
Happiness is far more than economic wellbeing, though it does get linked with the idea of wellbeing.
I'm presuming the researchers did ask Afghan women whether they're happy or not, and I guess why Afghanistan isn't a very happy country!
@spunkycumfun What happens is that these kinds of statistics are based on a series of questions with specific benchmarks for the answers, and measuring something as intangible, immaterial, and culturally different as the concept of happiness in each country or culture is impossible. But well, it's also interesting that someone cares about the happiness of people
@AuraAviatik6 Measuring happiness is indeed difficult but I think it's worth a try.
STOP PRESS
I've now consulted the rankings from the original report and it seems my newspaper source got a few rankings wrong. Though Finland is the happiest country, Afghanistan (not Kyrgyzstan) is the unhappiest country in the world.
My newspaper source got a few rankings wrong, especially for Costa Rica and Mexico.
Below are the correct rankings of countries listed above:
Finland (1)
Denmark (2)
Iceland (3)
Sweden (4)
Netherlands (5)
Costa Rica (6)
Norway (7)
Israel (8)
Mexico (10)
Australia (11)
Ireland (15)
Canada (18)
Germany (22)
Britain (23)
USA (24)
France (33)
Singapore (34)
Brazil (36)
Spain (38)
Italy (40)
Japan (55)
Russia (66)
China (68)
South Africa (95)
Iran (99)
Nigeria (105)
Ukraine (111)
India (118)
Egypt (135)
Zimbabwe (143)
Lebanon (145)
Afghanistan (147)
My apologies. Bloody newspapers!
I've now edited the blog post with the correct rankings of countries.
Four scandinavian countries in the top 7. Highest direct tax per capita, says a lot . . .
I can't believe UK is so high, we moan all the time!! 🤣🤣🤣
It seems high taxes make us happier!
Surprised Israel made top 5 (even ahead of Norway ) , with all there internal social problems over the last 10 years. Wonder on the weighting of criteria , GDP per capita could be skewing results.
Israel was ranked number 8 behind Norway. My newspaper source reported several rankings wrongly - see my comment above.
I'm not in a position to comment on the study's methodology as happiness isn't my thing. However, I know that the editors of the report are some of the world's leading academics in the study of happiness, which in itself of course doesn't make the weighting of criteria correct.
@spunkycumfun You would think they would have had alcohol consumption as a criteria
or would that be for the unhappy index .
@taurean62dbn The Finns would probably be near the top of the alcohol consumption league!
Biggest surprise is Israel with its neighbor Lebanon being WAY down there. I guess being at war is OK, as long as you're on the winning side. 😮
Good one!
Also Israelis are perhaps hardened to war after many decades of conflict in the region. But having said that, it doesn't explain Lebanon's lowly position.
It'll be interesting to see how the US ranks after this administration is done with its chaos and destruction.
I can only see America tumbling down the league table!
I am honestly surprised that the USA did not rank lower. You did not say when the survey was taken so I am assuming it was in January or early February. The USA may well have sunk since then. They speak of social connection being important. I am wondering how they define it. That is, are they speaking of in-person social connections, or on-line social connections. If on-line connections are they separating the different types.
The rankings are based on annual surveys - I'm not sure when they are taken. But these ranking are based on 2024 findings but are the previous two years' findings are factored in as well. It's a bit complicated.
I wouldn't be surprised if America's rankings fall in the near future as they will factor in a certain person!
@spunkycumfun I know the November election results have made a lot of people here less happy and what has been going on since the Inauguration many who wear MAGA hats are less happy than they expected to be.
@justskin1 I can't see Trump spreading happiness around, quite the opposite.
@spunkycumfun I don't think he can even make Russia happy. He is just too good at screwing things up.
@justskin1 Russia, and I mean Putin, are very pleased with Trump's efforts so far. He's applied maximum pressure on Ukraine and minimum pressure on Russia to get both sides to the peace table. It's very clear what side Trump is on. Putin is laughing.
@spunkycumfun Putie may be pleased at the moment but I am sure he does not trust the orange splatter to continue to do well for him being effective anything other than sowing chaos is just not in his nature.
@justskin1 I'm sure Putin has a Plan B when Trump outlives his usefulness.
Finland is interesting. We have a large Finnish population in northern Minnesota and they are known for being somewhat dour. But then, not the same as living in the actual country!
I'm not surprised to see the U.S. a ways down on the list. Income inequality is getting worse all the time. I'm sure we'll drop further if the current changes being made "stick". Defund Social Security offices, libraries, education - what could go wrong?
Finland's rankings goes against the grain of people's perceptions of the Finns.
bustinout posted a very interesting clip below about the Finns which backs up your view of them.
@spunkycumfun maybe the sauna culture contributes to their happiness. I just saw a post from our local attraction the Sauna Camp saying that Finland has 1 sauna for every 1.7 residents - more saunas than cars!
@smartasswoman It's incredible that there are more saunas than cars in Finland. Good on the Finns, though I do have a love-relationship with a sauna!
Stop press.
Another photo denied?
@lindoboy100 Not this time. Just my stupidity!
So glad to see Finland at the top of the list, and it seems we are getting lower and lower each year. It's sad to see our country slumping so low!!
I hope your Friday is a great start to a wonderful weekend..
Finland is a very interesting country to visit.
It's sad that there is are brainwashing specialists who control a large part of the USA's media and political establishment dedicated to creating discord and misery. Perpetrating frauds, creating panics, generating stress and divisiveness. All for the purpose of creating and maintaining political power and wealth.
My initial reply, saying that happiness should be peddled more, got denied. It seems the site doesn't like happiness!
@spunkycumfun I have noticed that there is some very strange things get denied. The worse thing is lack of transparency. If they would show a decision tree to or checklist, it would reduce the workload on the auditors.
@FieryFunPa Denials are very arbitrary here especially when compared to what gets through sometimes.