For the eighth year in a row, Finland has been recognized as the happiest country in the world, according to the annual World Happiness Report.
For the first time, the top ten happiest countries include Costa Rica and Mexico. Experts say that strong family ties have played an important role in boosting Costa Rica and Mexico’s positions. Here is the top ten:
- Finland;
- Denmark;
- Iceland;
- Sweden;
- Netherlands;
- Costa Rica;
- Norway;
- Israel;
- Luxembourg;
- Mexico.
Afghanistan remains in the last place – 147th place.
The 2025 Happiness Report shows that due to the political split, people in the United States and parts of Europe have become less happy and less trusting of each other. At the same time, sharing meals with others improves the well-being of people in different countries. The happiest families are those consisting of 4-5 people, especially in Mexico and Europe.
The study also showed that strangers are kinder than we think. Researchers deliberately “lost” wallets to check how many would be returned. They were returned twice as often as people expected.
However, there is a growing trend of loneliness worldwide — it is most noticeable among young people. In 2023, 19% of young people admitted that they had no one to support them, which is 39% more than in 2006. But they often overlook how kind others can be. For example, after a study at Stanford University, students became happier when they learned that their peers were willing to help.