Best/Worst
Happy Planet Index by Country 2025
Happy Planet Index Score (0-100)
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Country | Happy Planet Index Score 2021 (0-100)↓ | Life Expectancy 2021 | Ladder of Life Score (self-reported well-being) 2021 | Ecological Footprint 2021 (tCO2e) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Vanuatu | 57.9 | 70.4 | 7.1 | 2.62 |
 | Sweden | 55.9 | 83.0 | 7.4 | 8.7 |
 | El Salvador | 54.7 | 70.7 | 6.4 | 2.03 |
 | Costa Rica | 54.1 | 77.0 | 6.4 | 4.37 |
 | Nicaragua | 53.6 | 73.8 | 6.1 | 2.61 |
 | Spain | 53.0 | 83.0 | 6.5 | 7.12 |
 | Denmark | 53.0 | 81.4 | 7.7 | 10 |
 | France | 52.0 | 82.5 | 6.7 | 7.91 |
 | Panama | 52.0 | 76.2 | 6.5 | 5.24 |
 | Chile | 51.3 | 78.9 | 6.4 | 6.2 |
 | Portugal | 51.0 | 81.0 | 6.2 | 6.36 |
 | Moldova | 50.9 | 68.8 | 6.0 | 1.29 |
 | Honduras | 50.8 | 70.1 | 6.1 | 2.19 |
 | Netherlands | 50.7 | 81.7 | 7.3 | 10.1 |
 | Norway | 50.5 | 83.2 | 7.4 | 11 |
 | Guatemala | 50.4 | 69.2 | 6.3 | 2.47 |
 | Finland | 49.8 | 82.0 | 7.8 | 12.2 |
 | Italy | 49.6 | 82.9 | 6.5 | 8.49 |
 | United Kingdom | 49.5 | 80.7 | 6.9 | 8.94 |
 | Romania | 49.4 | 74.2 | 6.5 | 5.42 |
 | Philippines | 49.0 | 69.3 | 6.0 | 2.08 |
 | Israel | 48.6 | 82.3 | 7.6 | 12.3 |
 | Greece | 48.3 | 80.1 | 6.1 | 6.89 |
 | Slovenia | 48.1 | 80.7 | 6.8 | 9.26 |
 | Thailand | 48.0 | 78.7 | 5.6 | 5.05 |
 | Croatia | 48.0 | 77.6 | 6.3 | 6.58 |
 | Tajikistan | 47.8 | 71.6 | 5.3 | 1.48 |
 | Ireland | 47.7 | 82.0 | 6.8 | 10.2 |
 | Algeria | 47.4 | 76.4 | 5.2 | 3.11 |
 | Dominican Republic | 47.3 | 72.6 | 6.0 | 4.13 |
 | Peru | 47.0 | 72.4 | 5.7 | 3.19 |
 | Czechia | 46.8 | 77.7 | 6.9 | 9.23 |
 | Albania | 46.3 | 76.5 | 5.3 | 3.67 |
 | Brazil | 46.2 | 72.8 | 6.0 | 4.59 |
 | Germany | 45.7 | 80.6 | 6.8 | 10.4 |
 | Vietnam | 45.5 | 73.6 | 5.5 | 3.79 |
 | Morocco | 45.3 | 74.0 | 5.3 | 3.38 |
 | Austria | 45.3 | 81.6 | 7.1 | 12.2 |
 | Ecuador | 44.7 | 73.7 | 5.4 | 3.82 |
 | Jamaica | 44.5 | 70.5 | 5.8 | 3.78 |
 | Argentina | 43.8 | 75.4 | 5.9 | 6.39 |
 | New Zealand | 43.4 | 82.5 | 7.1 | 13.9 |
 | Mexico | 43.3 | 70.2 | 6.0 | 4.69 |
 | Uzbekistan | 43.0 | 70.9 | 6.2 | 5.69 |
 | Armenia | 43.0 | 72.0 | 5.3 | 3.43 |
 | Colombia | 42.9 | 72.8 | 5.3 | 3.74 |
 | Hungary | 42.9 | 74.5 | 6.2 | 7.46 |
 | Switzerland | 42.9 | 84.0 | 7.3 | 15.7 |
 | Japan | 42.7 | 84.8 | 6.1 | 11.7 |
 | Bhutan | 42.3 | 71.8 | 5.2 | 3.29 |
 | China | 41.9 | 78.2 | 5.9 | 8.38 |
 | North Macedonia | 41.7 | 73.8 | 5.5 | 5.49 |
 | Kyrgyzstan | 41.4 | 70.0 | 5.6 | 4.09 |
 | Taiwan | 41.2 | 81.0 | 6.3 | 11.4 |
 | Slovakia | 41.0 | 74.9 | 6.4 | 9.34 |
 | Lithuania | 41.0 | 73.7 | 6.9 | 10.3 |
 | Sri Lanka | 40.4 | 76.4 | 4.1 | 2.18 |
 | Poland | 40.3 | 76.5 | 6.0 | 8.89 |
 | Iceland | 40.3 | 82.7 | 7.6 | 17.8 |
 | Indonesia | 40.1 | 67.6 | 5.4 | 3.19 |
 | Mauritius | 40.0 | 73.6 | 6.0 | 7.65 |
 | Uruguay | 39.9 | 75.4 | 6.5 | 10.5 |
 | Bahrain | 39.9 | 78.8 | 6.5 | 12.1 |
 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 39.8 | 75.3 | 5.8 | 7.85 |
 | Senegal | 39.7 | 67.1 | 4.9 | 1.47 |
 | Australia | 39.5 | 84.5 | 7.1 | 17.7 |
 | Malta | 39.3 | 83.8 | 6.4 | 14.8 |
 | Bangladesh | 39.2 | 72.4 | 4.1 | 1.22 |
 | Malaysia | 39.1 | 74.9 | 6.0 | 8.97 |
 | Latvia | 39.1 | 73.6 | 6.3 | 9.58 |
 | Libya | 39.0 | 71.9 | 5.5 | 5.89 |
 | Belgium | 38.9 | 81.9 | 6.9 | 15.8 |
 | Belarus | 38.7 | 72.4 | 5.6 | 6.59 |
 | Tunisia | 38.6 | 73.8 | 4.5 | 3.33 |
 | Estonia | 38.3 | 77.1 | 6.5 | 12.6 |
 | South Korea | 38.0 | 83.7 | 6.1 | 14.4 |
 | Bulgaria | 37.5 | 71.8 | 5.4 | 6.34 |
 | Nepal | 37.4 | 68.5 | 4.6 | 2.09 |
 | Canada | 37.2 | 82.7 | 6.9 | 17.9 |
 | Georgia | 37.2 | 71.7 | 4.9 | 4.59 |
 | Ukraine | 36.4 | 71.6 | 5.3 | 6.45 |
 | Cyprus | 36.4 | 81.2 | 6.3 | 15 |
 | Cambodia | 36.3 | 69.6 | 4.6 | 2.8 |
 | Montenegro | 35.5 | 76.3 | 5.4 | 9.59 |
 | Republic of the Congo | 35.2 | 63.5 | 4.9 | 1.84 |
 | Serbia | 35.0 | 74.2 | 6.3 | 12.3 |
 | Azerbaijan | 34.4 | 69.4 | 5.2 | 6.1 |
 | Gabon | 34.4 | 65.8 | 5.1 | 3.87 |
 | Ethiopia | 34.0 | 65.0 | 4.1 | 0.2 |
 | Paraguay | 33.9 | 70.3 | 5.6 | 8.27 |
 | Turkey | 33.8 | 76.0 | 4.4 | 6.27 |
 | Pakistan | 33.7 | 66.1 | 4.5 | 2.23 |
 | Iraq | 33.4 | 70.4 | 5.1 | 6.79 |
 | Cameroon | 33.4 | 60.3 | 5.0 | 1.3 |
 | Mozambique | 33.2 | 59.3 | 5.2 | 1.6 |
 | Ghana | 32.9 | 63.8 | 4.4 | 1.13 |
 | Jordan | 32.8 | 74.3 | 3.9 | 4.11 |
 | Venezuela | 32.7 | 70.6 | 5.1 | 7.37 |
 | Mauritania | 32.4 | 64.4 | 4.5 | 2.08 |
 | Ivory Coast | 32.3 | 58.6 | 5.1 | 1.23 |
 | Egypt | 32.2 | 70.2 | 4.0 | 3.14 |
 | United States | 32.1 | 77.2 | 7.0 | 19.6 |
 | Bolivia | 32.1 | 63.6 | 5.6 | 5.88 |
 | Myanmar | 31.6 | 65.7 | 4.3 | 2.46 |
 | Guinea | 30.9 | 58.9 | 4.9 | 1.7 |
 | Kenya | 30.7 | 61.4 | 4.5 | 1.36 |
 | Uganda | 30.7 | 62.7 | 4.2 | 1.08 |
 | Niger | 30.6 | 61.6 | 4.4 | 1.11 |
 | Singapore | 30.5 | 82.8 | 6.6 | 23.2 |
 | Laos | 30.2 | 68.1 | 4.9 | 6.98 |
 | Madagascar | 29.8 | 64.5 | 3.9 | 1.08 |
 | Kazakhstan | 29.4 | 69.4 | 6.3 | 14.2 |
 | South Africa | 29.3 | 62.3 | 5.6 | 7.08 |
 | Saudi Arabia | 29.3 | 76.9 | 6.5 | 20.2 |
 | Iran | 29.0 | 73.9 | 4.8 | 10.5 |
 | Benin | 28.9 | 59.8 | 4.5 | 1.55 |
 | Tanzania | 28.8 | 66.2 | 3.7 | 1.61 |
 | Burkina Faso | 28.8 | 59.3 | 4.6 | 1.87 |
 | Liberia | 28.6 | 60.7 | 4.0 | 0.48 |
 | Rwanda | 28.1 | 66.1 | 3.4 | 0.7 |
 | India | 27.8 | 67.2 | 3.6 | 2.1 |
 | Russia | 27.8 | 69.4 | 5.5 | 12.1 |
 | Haiti | 27.5 | 63.2 | 3.8 | 1.33 |
 | Malawi | 27.0 | 62.9 | 3.6 | 0.69 |
 | Yemen | 26.6 | 63.8 | 3.6 | 1.38 |
 | United Arab Emirates | 26.4 | 78.7 | 6.7 | 26.8 |
 | Togo | 26.3 | 61.6 | 4.0 | 2.16 |
 | Hong Kong | 26.3 | 85.5 | 5.3 | 23.5 |
 | Turkmenistan | 25.6 | 69.3 | 5.5 | 14.2 |
 | DR Congo | 24.9 | 59.2 | 3.8 | 0.57 |
 | Trinidad and Tobago | 24.9 | 73.0 | 6.2 | 21.8 |
 | Sierra Leone | 24.6 | 60.1 | 3.7 | 0.89 |
 | Luxembourg | 24.6 | 82.6 | 7.1 | 34.9 |
 | Kuwait | 23.2 | 78.7 | 6.2 | 28.8 |
 | Mali | 22.2 | 58.9 | 4.1 | 3.76 |
 | Namibia | 21.8 | 59.3 | 4.5 | 6.22 |
 | Nigeria | 21.6 | 52.7 | 4.5 | 1.55 |
 | Mongolia | 20.4 | 71.0 | 5.7 | 24.7 |
 | Zimbabwe | 19.7 | 59.3 | 3.1 | 0.82 |
 | Lebanon | 19.2 | 75.0 | 2.2 | 4.91 |
 | Zambia | 19.1 | 61.2 | 3.1 | 2.23 |
 | Qatar | 18.8 | 79.3 | 6.5 | 42.2 |
 | Chad | 18.3 | 52.5 | 4.4 | 3.88 |
 | Afghanistan | 16.2 | 62.0 | 2.4 | 1.14 |
 | Lesotho | 15.6 | 53.1 | 3.7 | 3.04 |
 | Botswana | 14.7 | 61.1 | 3.5 | 10.3 |
 | Central African Republic | 13.7 | 53.9 | 3.1 | 1.83 |
 | Sudan | 65.3 | 0.87 | ||
 | Burundi | 61.7 | 0.65 |
- The Happy Planet Index (HPI) is defined as a population’s wellbeing multiplied by its average life expectancy, then divided by its ecological footprint.
- Higher scores are preferable in all categories except Ecological Footprint, for which lower scores are preferred.
- tCO₂e stands for “tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent,” a measure that expresses the global warming impact of various greenhouse gases in terms of the equivalent amount of CO₂. It helps compare and aggregate emissions to assess environmental impact efficiently.
- Note that the HPI is a measure of how efficiently a country’s people are utilizing their natural resources. It does not measure a population’s emotional happiness.
The Happy Planet Index (HPI) is one of the more recent ways to evaluate the success of the world’s nations. This value goes beyond looking at capitalistic metrics of the success of a country. Instead, the HPI looks at how nations use their environmental resources efficiently while ensuring the longevity of citizens.
Factors of the Happy Planet Index
Despite its name, the Happy Planet Index does not factor emotional happiness into its calculation. It uses well-being, life expectancy, and ecological footprint to calculate the HPI. Higher HPI values indicate that a country effectively uses the environmental resources they have without undue stress on the planet while ensuring that citizens have long, satisfying lives.
The well-being value comes from reports of citizens on their life satisfaction using a scale from one to ten. Higher scores relate to people who feel happier about living in their home countries.
Life expectancy indicates how long the citizens of a country live. Countries that have citizens with longer lives likely provide them with adequate health care, nutrition, and resources to reach advanced age.
Ecological footprint examines the amount of land required to provide the resources needed to meet a nation’s consumption. High ecological footprints mean that those countries overuse their natural resources to meet demand. Those nations may need to turn to other countries to get the natural resources they need. Requiring resources beyond a nation’s boundaries shows an inefficient use of the land and potential damage to the planet.
The HPI shows that countries do not need to overconsume, damage the environments of other countries to gain resources or harm the local environment to protect the livelihoods of the people that live in them.
Countries with the Best and Worst Happy Planet Indices
The most recent data for the Happy Planet Index comes from 2021. In that year, the country with the greatest HPI was Vanuatu, with an HPI of 57.9. That country’s life expectancy was 70.4. Its ecological footprint was 2.62, and the well-being value was 7.1. While other countries had lower ecological footprints, greater life expectancies, and greater well-being values, they did not have HPI scores higher than Vanuatu’s.
Central African Republic had the lowest HPI globally. Its calculated value was 13.7, which came from a lower well-being score of 3.1, despite the nation’s good ecological footprint (1.83). Life expectancy in this country was measured at 53.9.
