The 2025 World Happiness Report, released on Thursday, identifies Finland as the world’s happiest nation for the eighth consecutive year.
The annual report from the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford indicates that other Nordic countries continue to hold high positions in happiness. Besides Finland, Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden maintain their spots in the top four, remaining in the same order.
National rankings were determined by analyzing individuals’ self-reported life satisfaction. The study was a collaborative effort between the analytics company Gallup and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
Gallup CEO Jon Clifton stated, “Happiness goes beyond just money or progress; it’s about confidence, connection, and knowing you’re supported. To foster stronger societies and economies, we need to prioritize what truly matters: each other.”
Sharing meals and having somebody to count on
Researchers suggest that factors influencing happiness, aside from health and wealth, include seemingly simple elements like shared meals, available social support, and family size. According to the study, a household size of four or five people is associated with the highest happiness levels in Mexico and Europe.
The latest findings also reveal that belief in the goodwill of others is more strongly linked to happiness than previously understood.
For instance, the report indicates that the expectation of having a lost wallet returned is a reliable indicator of a population’s overall happiness.
The study also revealed that Nordic countries are top-ranked in both the expected and actual return of lost wallets.
Overall, researchers found that global data on the anticipated and actual return of lost wallets suggests that people are overly pessimistic about the kindness within their communities. Actual wallet return rates are roughly double what people anticipate.
The U.S. falls to its lowest-ever position in the happiness ranking
While European nations largely dominate the top 20, there were some exceptions. Despite its conflict with Hamas, Israel ranked 8th. Costa Rica and Mexico entered the top 10 for the first time, securing 6th and 10th place, respectively.
Regarding declining happiness, the United States has fallen to its lowest-ever ranking at 24, after reaching a peak of 11th in 2012. The report mentions a 53% increase in the number of people dining alone in the U.S. over the past two decades.
The United Kingdom, positioned at 23, reports its lowest average life evaluation since the 2017 report.
Afghanistan is again designated as the world’s least happy country, with Afghan women reporting particularly challenging lives.
Sierra Leone in West Africa is the second least happy, followed by Lebanon, which ranks third from the bottom.
Almost one-fifth of young adults globally have no social support
The study reveals a concerning trend: in 2023, 19% of young adults worldwide reported having no one to rely on for social support. This represents a 39% increase compared to 2006.
All countries are ranked based on their self-reported life evaluations, averaged over the period of 2022 to 2024.
Experts in fields like economics, psychology, and sociology then analyze the differences between countries and over time, considering factors like GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, the availability of social support, perceived freedom, generosity, and perceptions of corruption.
