Happiest Countries in the World 2025

World Happiness Score 2024 (0-10)

5 Happiest Countries in the World

Israel

7.34

Country	World Happiness Ranking 2024↑	World Happiness Score 2024 (0-10)	Score Change	World Happiness Report Rankings 2023	World Happiness Report Score 2023
Finland	1	7.74	-0.064	1	7.8
Denmark	2	7.58	-0.006	2	7.59
Iceland	3	7.53		3	7.53
Sweden	4	7.34	-0.055	6	7.39
Israel	5	7.34	-0.133	4	7.47
Netherlands	6	7.32	-0.083	5	7.4
Norway	7	7.3	-0.015	7	7.32
Luxembourg	8	7.12	-0.108	9	7.23
Switzerland	9	7.06	-0.18	8	7.24
Australia	10	7.06	-0.035	12	7.09
New Zealand	11	7.03	-0.093	10	7.12
Costa Rica	12	6.96	0.351	23	6.61
Kuwait	13	6.95
Austria	14	6.91	-0.187	11	7.1
Canada	15	6.9	-0.061	13	6.96
Belgium	16	6.89	0.031	17	6.86
Ireland	17	6.84	-0.071	14	6.91
Czech Republic	18	6.82	-0.025	18	6.84
Lithuania	19	6.82	0.057	20	6.76
United Kingdom	20	6.75	-0.046	19	6.8
Slovenia	21	6.74	0.09	22	6.65
United Arab Emirates	22	6.73	0.159	26	6.57
United States	23	6.73	-0.164	15	6.89
Germany	24	6.72	-0.172	16	6.89
Mexico	25	6.68	0.35	36	6.33
Uruguay	26	6.61	0.116	28	6.49
France	27	6.61	-0.051	21	6.66
Saudi Arabia	28	6.59	0.127	30	6.46
Singapore	30	6.52	-0.067	25	6.59
Taiwan	31	6.5	-0.035	27	6.54
Romania	32	6.49	-0.099	24	6.59
El Salvador	33	6.47	0.348	50	6.12
Estonia	34	6.45	-0.005	31	6.46
Poland	35	6.44	0.18	39	6.26
Spain	36	6.42	-0.016	32	6.44
Serbia	37	6.41	0.266	45	6.14
Chile	38	6.36	0.026	35	6.33
Panama	39	6.36	0.095	38	6.26
Malta	40	6.35	0.05	37	6.3
Italy	41	6.32	-0.085	33	6.41
Guatemala	42	6.29	0.14	43	6.15
Nicaragua	43	6.28	0.021	40	6.26
Brazil	44	6.27	0.145	49	6.13
Slovakia	45	6.26	-0.209	29	6.47
Latvia	46	6.23	0.017	41	6.21
Uzbekistan	47	6.2	0.186	54	6.01
Argentina	48	6.19	0.166	52	6.02
Kazakhstan	49	6.19	0.046	44	6.14
Cyprus	50	6.07	-0.06	46	6.13
Japan	51	6.06	-0.069	47	6.13
South Korea	52	6.06	0.109	57	5.95
Philippines	53	6.05	0.527	76	5.52
Vietnam	54	6.04	0.277	65	5.76
Portugal	55	6.03	0.062	56	5.97
Hungary	56	6.02	-0.021	51	6.04
Paraguay	57	5.98	0.242	66	5.74
Thailand	58	5.98	0.137	60	5.84
Malaysia	59	5.98	-0.032	55	6.01
China	60	5.97	0.152	64	5.82
Honduras	61	5.97	-0.053	53	6.02
Bahrain	62	5.96	-0.213	42	6.17
Croatia	63	5.94	-0.185	48	6.13
Greece	64	5.93	-0.001	58	5.93
Bosnia and Herzegovina	65	5.88	0.247	71	5.63
Libya	66	5.87
Jamaica	67	5.84	0.137	68	5.7
Peru	68	5.84	0.314	75	5.53
Dominican Republic	69	5.82	0.251	73	5.57
Mauritius	70	5.82	-0.082	59	5.9
Moldova	71	5.82	0.001	63	5.82
Russia	72	5.79	0.129	70	5.66
Bolivia	73	5.78	0.096	69	5.68
Ecuador	74	5.73	0.171	74	5.56
Montenegro	75	5.71	-0.012	67	5.72
Mongolia	77	5.7	-0.14	61	5.84
Colombia	78	5.7	0.07	72	5.63
Venezuela	79	5.61	0.399	88	5.21
Indonesia	80	5.57	0.293	84	5.28
Bulgaria	81	5.46	-0.006	77	5.47
Armenia	82	5.46	0.118	79	5.34
South Africa	83	5.42	0.145	85	5.28
North Macedonia	84	5.37	0.116	87	5.25
Algeria	85	5.36	0.031	81	5.33
Hong Kong	86	5.32	0.012	82	5.31
Albania	87	5.3	0.023	83	5.28
Tajikistan	88	5.28	-0.05	80	5.33
Republic of the Congo	89	5.22	-0.047	86	5.27
Mozambique	90	5.22	0.266	97	4.95
Georgia	91	5.19	0.081	90	5.11
Iraq	92	5.17	0.229	98	4.94
Nepal	93	5.16	-0.2	78	5.36
Laos	94	5.14	0.029	89	5.11
Gabon	95	5.11	0.075	94	5.04
Ivory Coast	96	5.08	0.027	93	5.05
Guinea	97	5.02	-0.052	91	5.07
Turkey	98	4.98	0.366	106	4.61
Senegal	99	4.97	0.115	102	4.86
Iran	100	4.92	0.044	101	4.88
Azerbaijan	101	4.89
Nigeria	102	4.88	-0.101	95	4.98
Palestine	103	4.88	-0.028	99	4.91
Cameroon	104	4.87	-0.103	96	4.97
Ukraine	105	4.87	-0.201	92	5.07
Namibia	106	4.83	0.199	105	4.63
Morocco	107	4.8	-0.103	100	4.9
Pakistan	108	4.66	0.105	108	4.55
Niger	109	4.56	0.059	109	4.5
Burkina Faso	110	4.55	-0.088	104	4.64
Mauritania	111	4.51	-0.214	103	4.72
Gambia	112	4.49	0.211	119	4.28
Chad	113	4.47	0.073	114	4.4
Kenya	114	4.47	-0.017	111	4.49
Tunisia	115	4.42	-0.077	110	4.5
Benin	116	4.38	0.006	116	4.37
Uganda	117	4.37	-0.062	113	4.43
Myanmar	118	4.35	-0.022	117	4.37
Cambodia	119	4.34	-0.053	115	4.39
Ghana	120	4.29	-0.315	107	4.61
Liberia	121	4.27	0.228	125	4.04
Mali	122	4.23	0.032	120	4.2
Madagascar	123	4.23	0.211	127	4.02
Togo	124	4.21	0.073	122	4.14
Jordan	125	4.19	0.07	123	4.12
India	126	4.05	0.014	126	4.04
Egypt	127	3.98	-0.19	121	4.17
Sri Lanka	128	3.9	-0.542	112	4.44
Bangladesh	129	3.89	-0.392	118	4.28
Ethiopia	130	3.86	-0.231	124	4.09
Tanzania	131	3.78	0.086	129	3.69
Comoros	132	3.57	0.025	130	3.54
Yemen	133	3.56
Zambia	134	3.5	-0.482	128	3.98
Eswatini	135	3.5
Malawi	136	3.42	-0.075	131	3.5
Botswana	137	3.38	-0.055	132	3.44
Zimbabwe	138	3.34	0.136	134	3.2
DR Congo	139	3.3	0.093	133	3.21
Sierra Leone	140	3.25	0.112	135	3.14
Lesotho	141	3.19
Lebanon	142	2.71	0.318	136	2.39
Afghanistan	143	1.72	-0.139	137	1.86
Kyrgyzstan				62	5.83

Happiness rankings are three-year averages. For example, 2023 rankings compile data from 2020-2022, while 2022 rankings compile data from 2019-2021.
Happiness rankings are determined by analyzing comprehensive Gallup polling data from 149 countries in six particular categories: gross domestic product per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make your own life choices, generosity of the general population, and perceptions of internal and external corruption levels.
The following countries lack survey information in 2022, so their 2023 averages are based on the 2020 and 2021 survey: Zambia, Uganda, Turkey, Tajikistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Slovakia, Singapore, Serbia, Philippines, Pakistan, Nigeria, Myanmar, Montenegro, Malaysia, Laos, Iraq, China, Burkina Faso, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bahrain, Algeria
The following countries lack survey information in 2021, so their 2022 averages are based on the 2019 and 2020 survey: Yemen, Turkmenistan, Rwanda, Palestine, Niger, Mauritania, Madagascar, Luxembourg, Libya, Liberia, Lesotho, Kuwait, , Guatemala, Gambia, Eswatini, Comoros, Chad, Botswana, Belarus, Azerbaijan.

Snapshot

Happiness is measured using six categories including GDP per capita, social support, and healthy life expectancy, among others.
Northern European countries dominate the top of the happiness rankings, reflecting strong social support systems and high standards of living.
Finland is ranked as the happiest country in the world in 2024, with Denmark and Iceland following closely behind.

Since 2002, the World Happiness Report has used statistical analysis to determine the world’s happiest countries. In its 2024 update, the report concluded that Finland is the happiest country in the world. To determine the world’s happiest country, researchers analyzed comprehensive Gallup polling data from 143 countries for the past three years, specifically monitoring performance in six particular categories: gross domestic product per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make your own life choices, generosity of the general population, and perceptions of internal and external corruption levels.

In order to properly compare each country’s data, the researchers created a fictional country—christened Dystopia—filled with “the world’s least-happy people.” They then set Dystopia as the rock bottom value in each of the six categories and measured the scores of the real-world countries against this value. All six variables were then blended to create a single combined score for each country. Six out of the top seven happiest countries in the world for 2024 were Northern European countries. Finland took top honors—for the tenth year in a row—with an overall score of 7.741, followed (in order) by Denmark (7.583), Iceland (7.525), Sweden (7.344), Israel (7.341), the Netherlands (7.319), and Norway (7.302).

The Top 10 Happiest Countries in the World (World Happiness Score 2024)

The least happy country in the world for 2024 was Afghanistan, whose 143rd-place ranking of 1.721 can be attributed in part to a low life expectancy rate, low gross domestic product rates per capita, and perhaps most importantly, the recent Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Rounding out the bottom five are Lebanon (2.707), Lesotho (3.186), Sierra Leone (3.245), and DR Congo (3.295).

Country	World Happiness Score 2024 (0-10)
Finland	7.74
Denmark	7.58
Iceland	7.53
Sweden	7.34
Israel	7.34
Netherlands	7.32
Norway	7.3
Luxembourg	7.12
Australia	7.06
Switzerland	7.06

The Top 7 Happiest Countries in the World for 2024

1. Finland

Finland ranks as the world’s happiest country based on the 2024 report, with a score of 7.741 out of a total possible score of 10. The citizens of Finland have strong feelings of communal support and mutual trust that not only helped secure the #1 ranking but also helped the country as a whole navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. During that trying time, Finlanders felt strongly that they were free to make their own choices and showed minimal suspicion of government corruption. Both of these factors are strong contributors to overall happiness.

2. Denmark

The second-happiest country in the world is Denmark, which scores 7.583. Denmark’s values for each of the six variables are quite comparable to those of Finland. In fact, Denmark has even outscored the leader in multiple categories, including GDP per capita and generosity. The country also scored the highest in happiness among older adults (60+).

3. Iceland

Iceland ranks as 2024’s third-happiest country in the entire world, with a total score of 7.525. Of the top seven happiest countries around the globe, Iceland boasts the highest feeling of social support. Iceland also had the second-highest generosity score in the top seven, though it’s worth noting that it ranked only 11th worldwide. Iceland is also a happier country for the youngsters at #4 than Finland (#7) and Denmark (#5).

4. Sweden

Fourth-place Sweden (7.344) ranks only #18 for happiness among the younger people (aged below 30). Yet, it is also #4 in older adults’ happiness. In fact, according to the report, along with Norway, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Spain, Sweden is a country where the old are now significantly happier than the young, while in Portugal, Greece, and Israel the opposite is true.

5. Israel

Fifth in the ranks of the happiest countries with a score of 7.341, Israel showed emotional resilience in the wake of the October 7th attack. Israel occupies the second spot for the happiness of the young people, just behind Lithuania. However, conversely to Sweden and Norway, the older Israelis are significantly less happy than their young fellow citizens, the country ranking #18 for senior citizens’ happiness.

6. Netherlands

Edging out Norway for the honor of sixth-happiest country in the world is the Netherlands (also known as Holland to many tulip lovers), with a score of 7.319. The Netherlands scored higher in the generosity category than any other top-seven country and also had the highest GDP.

7. Norway

The citizens of seventh-place Norway (7.302) feel they are being well cared for by their government thanks to universal healthcare and free college tuition. Norwegians also enjoy a healthy work-life balance, working an average of 27 hours per week vs. 36 hours per week in the United States. Additionally, Norway has a low crime rate and a strong sense of community among its citizens—a quality it shares with many in the top seven.

Honorable Mention: Bhutan

Bhutan was previously excluded from the 2021 report due to a technicality: each country’s scores were based upon detailed Gallup polls, but Gallup did not conduct polling in Bhutan during the required timeframe. In the 1970s, the 4th King of Bhutan stated, “Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross Domestic Product.” Since then, the idea of Gross National Happiness (GNH) has influenced Bhutan’s development policy. Its GNH Index value increased from 0.743 in 2010 to 0.781 in 2022. With a focus on mindfulness and well-being, Bhutan may soon give some of its Northern European counterparts a run for their money in terms of people’s happiness.