Searching for smiles on your next vacation? You’re in luck. The 2025 World Happiness Report is out, ranking the happiest countries in the world based on six key factors to determine an overall quality of living: GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and levels of corruption. The report surveyed respondents in over 140 countries, who self-analyzed their lives and what made them happy. Find out below which countries landed in the top 10 happiest countries in the world — including the country that took the top spot for the eighth year running.
10. Mexico
Happiness score: 6.979 (out of 10)
Mexico — the only North American nation to crack the top 10 happiest countries list — jumped from the 25th spot last year all the way up to No. 10 this year. While Mexico’s GDP is slightly lower than those of other countries toward the top of the list, residents feel strong levels of social support and that they have the ability to freely make choices as to how to live their own lives.
Notably, only 11% of households in Mexico contain a single person, with far more households containing four to five people. These larger families report high levels of satisfaction, suggesting that strong community bonds contribute to the overall happiness of many in Mexico.
9. Luxembourg
Happiness score: 7.112
Luxembourg is the first of seven European nations to land in the top 10 in the 2025 World Happiness Report. The microstate currently ranks No. 9, one spot lower than in 2024. Overall, the country’s declining rate for deaths of despair — another term for premature deaths caused by social and economic factors — is seen as a good metric of Luxembourgers’ happiness. The tiny nation also ranks as one of the top in the world in terms of GDP per capita, adding to its high quality of life.
8. Israel
Happiness score: 7.234
Although Israel ranks as one of the top 10 countries in the happiness index, it’s impossible to ignore the ongoing war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza that have devastated the region. Despite the findings of the survey, to claim this area of the world is “happy” would be an injustice to all those who are currently suffering. Indeed, there has been a slight decrease in Israel’s happiness score, from their No. 5 ranking in 2024.
7. Norway
Happiness score: 7.262
Norway comes in as the world’s seventh-happiest country for the third year in a row, beginning a trend of Nordic nations ranking toward the top of the list. This is due to a number of factors, such as the country’s high GDP per capita — in fact, Norway has the highest rate for any of the world’s seven happiest nations. People in Norway also feel strong levels of social support and have a life expectancy that’s among the highest in the world.
6. Costa Rica
Happiness score: 7.274
The Central American nation of Costa Rica skyrocketed from No. 12 to No. 6 in the 2025 World Happiness Report. While Costa Rica has lower GDP levels compared with other high-ranking countries, survey respondents report that they feel free to make life choices of their own volition. (Plus, the temperate weather year-round surely doesn’t hurt.)
Costa Rica ranks far higher in overall happiness than its neighbor to the south, Panama (No. 41), and its neighbor to the north, Nicaragua (No. 47). Ilana Ron-Levey, a managing director at Gallup, also notes that Costa Ricans have “strong perceptions about the direction of their economy and confidence in leaders.”
5. The Netherlands
Happiness score: 7.306
Though its overall happiness score declined slightly year-over-year, the Netherlands rose from the sixth-happiest country in 2024 to the fifth-happiest in the 2025 ranking. It remains one of the happiest countries in the world across the board, no matter the age of those surveyed.
People are especially content living in the Netherlands due in large part to the country’s extremely high healthy life expectancy. Other factors that make Dutch people happy include the national GDP per capita and a feeling of having plenty of social support.
4. Sweden
Happiness score: 7.345
For the second year running, Sweden is the world’s fourth-happiest country. It’s also one of four Nordic nations to dominate the top spots on this list. No matter a person’s age bracket, life is great overall in this vast northern expanse. Swedes find joy across all six major categories, especially in terms of feeling the freedom to live their lives without oppression.
3. Iceland
Happiness score: 7.515
Located off the Atlantic coast of Europe, the island nation of Iceland comes in at No. 3 on the 2025 list — just like it did in 2023 and 2024. Iceland saw a slight decline in its overall score compared to last year, but Icelanders young and old still expressed happiness across the board, noting that they feel freedom to make life choices in a way that other countries do not. One of the largest contributing factors to overall happiness is a sense of community — Icelanders have the second-highest rate of shared meals among friends and neighbors in the world.
2. Denmark
Happiness score: 7.521
Denmark lands at No. 2 in the 2025 World Happiness Report. The Danes offer yet another example of the high quality of life found across Northern Europe. Denmark has one of the highest GDPs per capita of any country in the world, and residents also expect to live a long life devoid of oppression and corruption. However, for the second straight year, there’s been a modest downturn in overall happiness throughout the country, preventing Denmark from taking the No. 1 spot.
1. Finland
Happiness score: 7.736
Finland has been named the happiest country in the world for 2025, marking its eighth straight year in the top spot. According to the report’s authors, “Finland is still in a group by itself.” They point to cultural norms in Finland such as wallets always being returned if they’re dropped in the street, as well as universally distributed health and education opportunities contributing to Finland’s overall happiness.
Finland’s total happiness score is 7.736 out of 10, which is more than six points higher than the lowest country on the list, Afghanistan, which ranks No. 147, with a score of 1.364.
About the data: The World Happiness Report is published in partnership with Gallup Analytics, who surveyed respondents in over 140 countries from 2022 to 2024 to determine the ranking. It is a publication of the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford in partnership with Gallup, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and the independent editorial board of World Happiness Report. Check out the 2025 full list here.
Featured Stories
More from our network
Daily Passport is part of Optimism, which publishes content that uplifts, informs, and inspires.
