Finland is once again the world’s happiest country, according to the World Happiness Report 2025 released on Thursday. This is the eighth year in a row that Finland has kept its No. 1 spot.
Other Nordic countries like Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden are still in the top four, and in the same order. India showed a small improvement in its happiness ranking, going up from 126th place in 2024 to 118th place this year.
The report, released on the UN’s International Day of Happiness, looks at how people in 147 countries rate their quality of life.
The United States did not make it into the top 10 and dropped to its lowest-ever position at 24th place. Last year, it fell out of the top 20 for the first time since 2012. The report also says that the number of people eating alone in the US has gone up by 53% in the last 20 years.
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Ranking of the happiest countries
— Simon Kuestenmacher (@simongerman600) June 3, 2018
1 #Finland
2 #Norway
3 #Denmark
10 #Australia
15 #Germany
18 #USA
19 #UK
25 #Chile
26 #Taiwan
28 #Brazil
29 #Argentina
47 #Italy
52 #Romania
Source: https://t.co/3TnvB2Btrv pic.twitter.com/sLxoZROjCJ
Factors That Affect Happiness
Researchers say that, apart from health and money, some simple things can affect happiness. These include sharing meals with others, having someone to support you, and the size of your household. For example, in Mexico and Europe, having a household with four to five people is linked to the highest levels of happiness.
The latest findings show that believing in the kindness of others is more important for happiness than we thought. For example, the report suggests that people who think others would return a lost wallet are generally happier. The study also found that Nordic countries are among the top places where lost wallets are most likely to be returned.
Top Rankings And Surprising Results
European countries make up most of the top 20 in the happiness ranking, but there are some exceptions. Despite the ongoing war with Hamas, Israel reached 8th place. Costa Rica (6th) and Mexico (10th) made it into the top 10 for the first time.
The UK and Afghanistan’s Struggles
The United Kingdom is at 23rd place, reporting its lowest life satisfaction since the 2017 report. Afghanistan is ranked as the unhappiest country in the world, with women in Afghanistan saying their lives are especially tough. Sierra Leone in West Africa is the second unhappiest, followed by Lebanon in 3rd from the bottom.
Concerns About Social Support
The study also found that 19% of young adults worldwide reported in 2023 that they have no one to rely on for support. This is a 39% increase compared to 2006.
Ranking Method
All countries are ranked based on how people rated their lives, averaged from 2022 to 2024.
