Finland has been ranked the happiest country in the world for the eighth year in a row, according to the 2025 World Happiness Report, published today.
Other Nordic countries also topped the happiness rankings again in the annual report published by the Oxford University Well-being Research Centre, France24 reports.
In addition to Finland, Denmark, Iceland and Sweden remain in the top four, in the same order.
The country rankings are based on people’s responses when asked to rate their lives. The study was conducted in partnership with the analytical firm Gallup and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
“Happiness is not just about wealth or growth – it’s about trust, connection and knowing that people have your back,” said Jon Clifton, Gallup’s executive director.
“If we want stronger communities and economies, we need to invest in what really matters: each other,” he added.
Researchers say that aside from health and wealth, some factors that influence happiness sound deceptively simple: sharing meals with others, having someone you can count on for social support, and household size.
In Mexico and Europe, for example, a household of four to five people predicts the highest level of happiness, the study says.
Belief in the goodness of others is also much more closely related to happiness than previously thought, according to recent findings.
While European countries dominate the top 20 in the ranking, there were some exceptions. Despite the war with Hamas, Israel came in 8th place. Costa Rica and Mexico entered the top 10 for the first time, ranking 6th and 10th respectively.
The United States fell to its lowest ever position at 24th, after previously ranking 11th in 2012. The United Kingdom is at 23rd place, recording its lowest average life expectancy since the 2017 report.
Afghanistan was once again ranked as the unhappiest country in the world, while Sierra Leone in West Africa was the second unhappiest, followed by Lebanon as the third unhappiest country in the world.
