World Happiness Report unveils the happiest countries to live in as we celebrate International Day of Happiness - see full list

While Finland once again tops the World Happiness Report’s rankings, the United States - coming in at 24th place - earned its lowest ranking yet in the 2025 report. The 13th edition of the annual report marks the United Nations International Day of Happiness on March 20.

The report draws on Gallup World Poll data from people in more than 140 countries. Countries are ranked on happiness based on their average life evaluations over the three preceding years, in this case 2022 to 2024.

The report is a partnership of Gallup, the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network and an editorial board. The survey asks each participant to score their life as a whole and rankings are based on those life evaluations. The report then looks at six key variables to help explain life evaluations: GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity and perceptions of corruption.

When it comes to happiness, the Nordic countries are clearly doing a lot of things right. For the eighth year in a row, Finland is the world’s happiest country, with its neighbours clustered close behind.

“Nordic countries like Finland continue to benefit from universally available and high-quality health, education and social support systems. Inequality of wellbeing is also low,” said Ilana Ron-Levey, managing director at Gallup. Finland, Denmark, Iceland and Sweden – the top four – remain in the same order as 2024. And Norway is again No. 7.

Two Latin American countries — Costa Rica at No. 6 and Mexico at No. 10 — both enter the top 10 for the first time in the 2025 report. Both countries’ residents have “strong social networks and strong perceptions about the direction of their economy and confidence in leaders and institutions,” Ron-Levey said.

The Netherlands (No. 5), Israel (No. 8) and Luxembourg (No. 9) fill out the top 10. After dropping out of the top 20 for the first time last year, the US ranks No. 24 in the latest World Happiness Report.

Ron Levy said: “The decline in the U.S. in 2024 was at least partly attributable to Americans younger than age 30 feeling worse about their lives. Today’s young people report feeling less supported by friends and family, less free to make life choices and less optimistic about their living standards.”

The US isn’t the only English-speaking country with happiness challenges. At No. 23, the United Kingdom reported its lowest average life evaluation since 2017. Canada, which has seen happiness declines over the last decade, remained in the top 20 at No. 18.

Afghanistan (No. 147) is once again last on the list. Sierra Leone (No. 146), Lebanon (No. 145), Malawi (No. 144) and Zimbabwe (No. 143) make up the rest of the bottom five for happiness.

World’s 20 happiest countries in 2025

1. Finland

2. Denmark

3. Iceland

4. Sweden

5. Netherlands

6. Costa Rica

7. Norway

8. Israel

9. Luxembourg

10. Mexico

11. Australia

12. New Zealand

13. Switzerland

14. Belgium

15. Ireland

16. Lithuania

17. Austria

18. Canada

19. Slovenia

20. Czech Republic