Nordic countries topped the list in the 2025 World Happiness Report, as they have for years. Of 147 places measured, the United States ranked only 24th, well below neighbors Mexico (10th) and Canada (18th).
The research on happiness comes from the University of Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, in cooperation with Gallup, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and the WHR’s Editorial Board. The survey looks at data over three years, from 2022 to 2024. The yardsticks used were:
- Gross domestic product per capita
- Social support
- Healthy life expectancy
- Freedom
- Generosity
- Corruption
However, the happiness rankings were based on the “subjective” evaluations of those among the universe of respondents. This evaluation is the Cantril Ladder, Gallup’s figure for “Thriving, Struggling, Suffering.”
Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, and the Netherlands led the list, all with overall scores of 7.3 or better. Norway ranked seventh. Each ranked highly high on relationships with police, strangers, and neighbors. Afghanistan is at the bottom of the list, followed by Sierra Leone and Lebanon.
The United States does well based on people who volunteer and donate. Its worst score by far is based on relationships with police. Another comment is, “In the United States, using data from the American Time Use Survey, we find clear evidence that Americans are spending more and more time dining alone.” Some of this may be due to habits formed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The United States also ranked poorly on sense of well-being.
According to the report, these are the 15 happiest places to live:
- Finland (7.736)
- Denmark (7.521)
- Iceland (7.515)
- Sweden (7.345)
- Netherlands (7.306)
- Costa Rica (7.274)
- Norway (7.262)
- Israel (7.234)
- Luxembourg (7.122)
- Mexico (6.979)
- Australia (6.974)
- New Zealand (6.952)
- Switzerland (6.935)
- Belgium (6.910)
- Ireland (6.889)
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