The 2025 World Happiness Report was released on March 20, 2025. The day is also the United Nations International Day of Happiness. The report examines how happy people around the world are. It was produced by the University of Oxford's Wellbeing Research Centre, Gallup and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
This year, the theme of the report is "compassion and sharing" and how it affects happiness. It is based on data from 2022 to 2024. People in 147 countries rated their lives on a scale of 0 to 10. The report also looks at factors such as money (GDP), social support, freedom, generosity and trust to explain why some countries are happier than others.
Finland is the happiest country again
For the eighth consecutive year, Finland has been named the happiest country in the world, with a score of 7.736 out of 10. Other Nordic countries, such as Denmark (2nd), Iceland (3rd), and Sweden (4th), also rank high. These countries attribute strong welfare systems, high social trust, and a wealth of natural resources to keeping people happy.
Another Nordic country, Norway, is in 7th place. Outside the Nordics, Costa Rica (6th) and Mexico (10th) make the top 10 for the first time. These countries show how family ties and large families keep people happy. Countries such as the Netherlands (5th), Israel (8th), and Luxembourg (9th) also make the top 10.
US and UK drop in rankings
The US is now in 24th place, its lowest ranking ever. The UK is in 23rd place. Both countries have seen a decline in social trust and happiness, especially among young people. This shows that money and success alone cannot keep people happy.
India is making progress but challenges remain
India is ranked 118th, up from 126th in 2024. However, it lags behind its neighbours like Pakistan (109th) and Nepal (92nd). Despite its economic growth, India faces issues like social support, freedom and corruption. This proves that wealth alone is not enough to keep a country happy.
Afghanistan at the bottom of the list
The country at the bottom of the list is Afghanistan, ranked 147th. The report is a reminder that treating others with compassion can make the world a happier place.