There are lots of songs about being happy. One of my favorites is “Shiny Happy People” by REM. But here is a good question. Where do those shiny, happy people live?
Well. Some places in this world are happier than others. Yes. In fact, the world’s happiest country has managed to keep its number-one ranking for eight years running.
Imagine this little fact, though: The United States wasn’t even in the top ten. Not even in the top twenty, either.
So, what is the happiest country in the world? None other than Finland.
It once again tops the World Happiness Report’s rankings. The United States — at No. 24 — earned its lowest ranking yet in the 2025 report.
Here’s the thing about us. In the United States, there is much-declining happiness and social trust. The big contributor? Political polarization. Hate among the people who are not like the other people.
Maybe we need to help ourselves. Perhaps if we thought of a stranger in the street as simply a friend we haven’t met. Just remember. They are not necessarily somebody who poses a threat to us.
Here’s how they chose the happiest places.
Just remember. Kindness always counts. To someone, somewhere.
So here they are. The 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
At the bottom of the list? 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.
And the world goes round and round.
////////////
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.
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
“”””””””””
“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.”
— Dalai Lama
“”””””””””
“The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things.”
— Henry Ward Beecher
“”””””””””
“Happiness depends upon ourselves.”
— Aristotle
“”””””””””
