Costa Rica, now ranked sixth, stands out as North America’s happiest country, surpassing both the U.S. and Canada. At the opposite end, the Dominican Republic (#76) ranks as the least happy in the region, likely due to persistent inequality and economic challenges.
In South America, Uruguay remains the happiest country at #28, while Venezuela (#82) retains its position as the least happy. Its ongoing economic crisis, political turmoil, and large-scale emigration have greatly diminished quality of life.
Ukraine (#111) is Europe’s lowest-ranked country, still grappling with the lingering effects of war, financial instability, and an uncertain future.
Afghanistan continues to occupy the bottom spot globally and in the Middle East. Prolonged conflict, restrictions on freedoms—especially for women—and a struggling economy have kept it the world’s least happy nation since 2020.
Taiwan emerges as East Asia’s happiest country at #27, surpassing Singapore. Bangladesh, meanwhile, ranks lowest among Asian economies at #134, weighed down by economic challenges and ongoing political instability.
Africa has the lowest average happiness scores worldwide. Within the region, Mauritius (#78) leads as the happiest country, helped by a relatively higher standard of living, while Sierra Leone remains second to last overall due to widespread poverty, political corruption, and inadequate infrastructure.
Lastly, in Oceania, Australia and New Zealand both record strong scores of 7.0, narrowly missing the global top 10. High life expectancy and robust social systems contribute to their elevated rankings.
Below, we show the three countries that saw the largest increases to their happiness scores from last year, and the three countries that saw the greatest decreases.
| Country | 2023 Happiness Score | 2024 Happiness Score | Change in score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇱🇸 Lesotho | 3.2 | 3.8 | 0.6 |
| 🇱🇧 Lebanon | 2.7 | 3.2 | 0.5 |
| 🇿🇲 Zambia | 3.5 | 3.9 | 0.4 |
| 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | 3.3 | 3.0 | -0.3 |
| 🇰🇼 Kuwait | 7.0 | 6.6 | -0.3 |
| 🇦🇫 Afghanistan | 1.7 | 1.4 | -0.4 |
Lesotho recorded the greatest improvement among all surveyed countries, with its happiness score rising by 0.6 points (from 3.2 to 3.8). Despite this notable gain, it still ranks among the least happy nations worldwide.
Lebanon and Zambia also registered significant increases in their scores but continue to sit near the bottom of the rankings, underscoring the entrenched economic and political hurdles they face. Meanwhile, some of the world’s least happy countries saw their scores dip even further. Sierra Leone, Kuwait, and Afghanistan experienced the largest drops, each declining by 0.3 to 0.4 points.
Looking at overall ranking shifts, Latin American countries led the way, indicating a renewed sense of optimism in spite of persistent economic and political challenges. Colombia, Mexico, and Ecuador recorded the most substantial climbs, moving up by 17, 15, and 12 places, respectively.
Colombia advanced from #78 to #61, Mexico reached the top 10 for the first time by jumping from #25 to #10, and Ecuador rose from #74 to #62.
By contrast, the United States slipped from #23 to #24, continuing a downward trajectory that has been evident since 2016. Declining social trust and growing inequality remain key contributors to the U.S.’s gradual slide in the rankings.
That makes me mad!
Happily Hating And Being Hostile To Russia IMHO along with Sweden, Denmark, Norway and the Baltic nations.
I do look forward to the acquisition of Greenland by the United States.
Let us see how happy they are without beer.
https://euroweeklynews.com/2025/03/24/beer-crisis-will-finland-run-dry/
If Trump has his way, Greenland might be at very least, in the Top Ten Happiest, a few years from now.
**Afghanistan always comes up short when there is any true measure of ‘happiness’.
Perhaps Afghanistan has never been a ‘happy’ place.
The very notion of individual joy and mirth may be considered ‘Harem’!
I was in Helsinki Finland in the 70’s as it was rapidly going socialist with huge generational distrust of the elders who saved the country from the Soviets. Believe me, no one was happy. It made even Leningrad look fun.
Meillä on bileet!
If you removed the scores of Liberal white women from the mix, the US’s score would be considerably higher.
If you removed the scores of Liberal white women from the mix, the US’s score would be considerably higher.
If you removed the scores of Liberal white women from the mix, the US’s score would be considerably higher.
Then why is their suicide rate so high?
Finland saw a notable increase in reported sexual offenses in 2023, with 7,100 cases recorded, marking a 29.6% rise from the previous year. This surge, amounting to 1,600 more cases than in 2022...
Immigration is awesome 👍👍👍
About 65% of Finns are Lutheran. About 33% are not religious.
About 90% are ethnic Finns.
10% are not, but most of them are northern Europeans.
I guess a lot of vampires live up there.
The happiest countries are also the whitest countries. I suspect this poll is racist.
Finns are creepy like the children of the corn.
THAT’s why Putin wants it.
Prepare to defend yourselves, or you will be happy like Ukraine.