THE world’s happiest countries of 2025 have been revealed, with the regular winner in first place despite being renowned for its darkness and cold.
Meanwhile both the UK and the US dramatically dropped down the list to 23rd and 24th respectively – the lowest they have ever placed in the ranking.
Finland has taken the crown as the happiest country in the world for the eighth year in a row.
Country rankings were based on answers citizens gave when asked to rate their own lives.
Fellow Nordic nations like Denmark and Iceland are also at the top of the happiness rankings published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford.
But it’s been bad news for the UK, as it fell a whopping three places in the table – from 20th last year to 23rd.
HAPPY FINLAND
Despite Finland being renowned for its darkness and sub-zero temperatures for around half of the year, citizens have other reasons to feel good every day.
These reasons may include the fact that healthcare is publicly funded, air quality meets World Health Organisation standards and the EU Gender Equality Index are higher than the European average.
Like Aino Virolainen, a digital commerce director, has lived abroad but always wants to return home to Finland.
She said: “This is where I always want to come back to and where I want to, you know, grow my kids and grow old myself.
“And I think its because, you know, the peace and the quietness and the trustworthiness.
“You know, how we speak directly and the nature, of course. Its clean and the air is fresh and whats there not to love?”
Helsinki pictured in summer[/caption]
The Old Town in Stockholm, Sweden[/caption]
SHOCKING LIST
Whilst European countries dominate the top 20, there were some shocking exceptions.
With decreases in happiness or growing unhappiness, the US took the crown, dropping to its lowest-ever position at 24.
In comparison, in 2012, America peaked at 11th place.
The report also sadly states that the number of people dining alone in the US has increased a whopping 53 per cent over the past two decades.
The United Kingdom, at position 23, is reporting its lowest average life evaluation since the 2017 report.
Meanwhile, despite the war with Hamas, Israel came eighth in the list.
Costa Rica and Mexico broke through into the top ten for the first time, ranking at sixth and 10th respectively.
In the bottom part of the list sits Sierra Leone in west Africa, which is the second unhappiest country in the world.
Finland’s appeal
By Hope Brotherton, Travel Reporter
From its blindingly white landscapes in Lapland to its Lake District with hills and forest, it’s easy to see why Finland routinely tops lists as the world’s happiest country.
For bucket-list breaks, head to Rovaniemi, Lapland’s capital. The northern city has its very own Santa Claus Village where the Christmas spirit is kept alive throughout the year. It’s an ideal base for winter activities like reindeer safaris and husky rides. However, spotting the Northern Lights dancing in the sky above the city had to be the highlight of my most recent trip.
Winter sports enthusiasts will want to head further north to Finnish ski resorts like Ylläs – the genuine Lappish villages with their wooden lodges, snow-covered pine trees and cross-country skiing trails will instantly make you obsessed with Finland. It certainly did for me.
While Finland is widely regarded as a winter destination, don’t dismiss a summertime visit. If you’re a keen hiker, or just like the great outdoors, head to Finland’s answer to the Lake District.
Stop in Kuopio if you want one foot in the country’s nature while still having all the benefits of being in a city.
Moomin fans should make a beeline for Tampere, which is home to the only museum based on the children’s characters. The museum takes visitors through the life of the Moomin creator Tove Jansson, with interactive displays reading excerpts from the books.
Helsinki, the country’s capital, is somewhere, like most European capitals, you can visit throughout the year – although I’d recommend visiting in the summer because it’s a lot easier to explore when temperatures aren’t sitting at -16C.
Jump on a ferry from Helsinki to Suomenlinna, a sea fortress that dates back centuries. The island fortress has winding trails and quaint cafes.
And if your beige travel flag is exploring foreign supermarkets, I would recommend sampling a bar or two of Karl Fazer (mouth-watering milk chocolate) and a can of Long Drink (a gin mixer).
And ranking third from the bottom is Lebanon.
But right at the bottom for another year in a row is Afghanistan, with Afghan women saying how their lives are especially difficult.
BIZARRE FINDINGS
Researchers say that beyond health and wealth, some factors that influence happiness sound deceptively simple.
These range from sharing meals with others, having someone to count on for social support, as well as household size.
Like in Mexico and Europe, a household size of four to five people predicts the highest levels of happiness, according to the study.
And believing in the kindness of others is also closer tied to happiness than previously imagined.
One key highlight in the study is that people who think that others are willing to return their lost wallet is a gargantuan predictor of the overall happiness of the whole population.
But sadly, people are more pessimistic about the kindness of their communities, when it comes to the perceived and actual return of lost wallets.
This is seen through the fact that actual rates of wallet return are around twice as high as people expect.
2025 World Happiness Report rankings
- Finland 7.74
- Denmark 7.52
- Iceland 7.52
- Sweden 7.34
- Netherlands 7.31
- Costa Rica 7.27
- Norway 7.26
- Israel 7.23
- Luxembourg 7.12
- Mexico 6.98
- Australia 6.97
- New Zealand 6.95
- Switzerland 6.93
- Belgium 6.91
- Ireland 6.89
- Lithuania 6.83
- Austria 6.81
- Canada 6.80
- Slovenia 6.79
- Czechia 6.78
- United Arab Emirates 6.76
- Germany 6.75
- United Kingdom 6.73
- United States 6.72
- Belize 6.71
- Poland 6.67
- Taiwan 6.67
- Uruguay 6.66
- Kosovo 6.66
- Kuwait 6.63
- Serbia 6.61
- Saudi Arabia 6.60
- France 6.59
- Singapore 6.57
- Romania 6.56
- Brazil 6.49
- El Salvador 6.49
- Spain 6.47
- Estonia 6.42
- Italy 6.41
- Panama 6.41
- Argentina 6.40
- Kazakhstan 6.38
- Guatemala 6.36
- Chile 6.36
- Vietnam 6.35
- Nicaragua 6.33
- Malta 6.32
- Thailand 6.22
- Slovakia 6.22
- Latvia 6.21
- Oman 6.20
- Uzbekistan 6.19
- Paraguay 6.17
- Japan 6.15
- Bosnia and Herzegovina 6.14
- Philippines 6.11
- Republic of Korea 6.04
- Bahrain 6.03
- Portugal 6.01
- Colombia 6.00
- Ecuador 5.97
- Honduras 5.96
- Malaysia 5.95
- Peru 5.95
- Russian Federation 5.95
- Cyprus 5.94
- China 5.92
- Hungary 5.91
- Trinidad and Tobago 5.91
- Montenegro 5.88
- Croatia 5.87
- Jamaica 5.87
- Bolivia 5.87
- Kyrgyzstan 5.86
- Dominican Republic 5.85
- Mongolia 5.83
- Mauritius 5.83
- Libya 5.82
- Republic of Moldova 5.82
- Greece 5.78
- Venezuela 5.68
- Indonesia 5.62
- Algeria 5.57
- Bulgaria 5.55
- North Macedonia 5.50
- Armenia 5.49
- Hong Kong 5.49
- Albania 5.41
- Tajikistan 5.41
- Georgia 5.40
- Nepal 5.31
- Lao PDR 5.30
- Türkiye 5.26
- South Africa 5.21
- Mozambique 5.19
- Gabon 5.12
- Côte d’Ivoire 5.10
- Iran 5.09
- Congo 5.03
- Iraq 4.98
- Guinea 4.93
- Namibia 4.91
- Cameroon 4.89
- Nigeria 4.88
- Azerbaijan 4.87
- Senegal 4.86
- Palestinian Territories 4.78
- Pakistan 4.77
- Niger 4.73
- Ukraine 4.68
- Morocco 4.62
- Tunisia 4.55
- Mauritania 4.54
- Kenya 4.51
- Uganda 4.46
- Gambia 4.42
- India 4.39
- Chad 4.38
- Burkina Faso 4.38
- Benin 4.36
- Somalia 4.35
- Mali 4.34
- Cambodia 4.34
- Ghana 4.34
- Myanmar 4.32
- Togo 4.31
- Jordan 4.31
- Liberia 4.28
- Madagascar 4.16
- Zambia 3.91
- Ethiopia 3.90
- Sri Lanka 3.89
- Bangladesh 3.85
- Egypt 3.82
- Tanzania 3.80
- Eswatini 3.77
- Lesotho 3.76
- Comoros 3.75
- Yemen 3.56
- DR Congo 3.47
- Botswana 3.44
- Zimbabwe 3.40
- Malawi 3.26
- Lebanon 3.19
- Sierra Leone 3.00
- Afghanistan 1.36
