Finland Named Happiest Nation within the World 2025

Right now, Gallup unveiled its 2025 World Happiness Report, which shared the happiest international locations on Earth and, extra importantly, what makes them so glad anyway.

For the eighth consecutive yr, Finland secured the highest spot, thanks largely to its residents’ dedication to volunteering, donating to causes, and serving to others in want. The nation scored 7.736 out of 10 (which was barely lower than its 2024 consequence).

Fins indicated they implicitly belief these round them, with most individuals responding they assume the police, a neighbor, or perhaps a stranger would return their pockets, no questions requested. And Finland is not alone—all its neighbors scored excessive marks, too. 

“Within the newest happiness rankings, Nordic international locations proceed to dominate the highest spots, with Finland, Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden sustaining their positions because the happiest international locations on the earth,” a Gallup report shared with Journey + Leisure said. “Finland stays in a league of its personal, adopted by Denmark and Iceland, that are carefully grouped collectively, and Sweden rounding out the highest 4.” Norway is seventh.

As for what makes these international locations so glad, Gallup defined that its residents dwell with the understanding of being sort to at least one one other. 

“One of many report’s most hanging revelations is that being sort and anticipating kindness from others—believing that your pockets can be returned should you misplaced it—are stronger predictors of happiness than avoiding main detrimental occasions like crime or financial hardship,” Gallup’s findings defined. “In different phrases, believing within the goodwill of these round us can have an even bigger influence on our wellbeing than incomes a better wage.” The report additionally discovered that sharing a meal and family dimension are carefully linked to perceived happiness.

For the primary time within the report’s 13-year historical past, Costa Rica and Mexico rating within the prime 10, with the Central American nation rating sixth and our southern neighbor in tenth. Nonetheless, there’s little excellent news for the US because it fell one spot down from final yr to its lowest place ever—No. 24. Afghanistan was as soon as once more on the backside of the general rating.

Gallup famous that this yr’s report comes at a vital time. It discovered that “acts of benevolence,” comparable to serving to a stranger, volunteering, and donating cash, have considerably decreased from their pandemic-era peak. The findings added, “Although nonetheless larger than pre-pandemic ranges, the sudden drop-off in these behaviors raises questions on the place these traits is likely to be headed.”

“This yr’s report quantifies the human components of life which are typically onerous to measure,” Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, director of Oxford’s Wellbeing Analysis Centre, professor of economics on the College of Oxford and an editor of the World Happiness Report, added. “It seems that sharing meals and trusting others are even stronger predictors of wellbeing than anticipated. These findings push us to look past conventional determinants like well being and wealth and encourage individuals to get again across the desk collectively.”

See the total record of the happiest international locations on gallup.com.