Finland maintained its position as the world’s happiest country in 2024, World Happiness report shows

For the eighth year in a row, Finland has taken the No. 1 spot on the World Happiness Report's list of the happiest countries. Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden also made the top 10.

Finland maintained its position as the world’s happiest country for the eighth consecutive year, according to the annual report. The top four positions continue to be dominated by Nordic nations, with Denmark, Iceland and Sweden following Finland, while Costa Rica and Mexico entered the top ten for the first time.

The study, conducted in collaboration with analytics firm Gallup and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, was published by the University of Oxford’s Wellbeing Research Centre. Researchers asked participants to rate their lives on a scale from 0 to 10. Country rankings are based on a three-year average of these scores.

Cyprus recorded a substantial decline over consecutive years, falling from 46th position in 2023 to 50th in 2024, before dropping further to 67th place in the latest report.

Greece also experienced a significant decline, falling to 81st position from 64th place last year.

Other major economies saw their positions shift, with the United Kingdom and the United States slipping to 23rd and 24th places respectively.

Last year’s report focused on happiness disparities across age groups, noting a decline in well-being among younger populations in multiple countries. 

The US reached its highest ranking of No. 11 back in 2012. The latest report also highlights a 53% rise in the number of Americans dining alone over the past 20 years. 

The decline in happiness is not exclusive to the US. The United Kingdom, now at No. 23, recorded its lowest average life satisfaction since 2017. Meanwhile, Canada, which has seen a downward trend in happiness over the past decade, remained in the top 20 at No. 18. 

Turkey is ranked 94th and Nigeria secured the 105th spot.

Afghanistan ranked last at No. 147, followed by Sierra Leone (No. 146), Lebanon (No. 145), Malawi (No. 144), and Zimbabwe (No. 143), rounding out the five lowest-ranking countries in terms of happiness.

The complete top ten ranking consists of:

1. Finland
2. Denmark
3. Iceland
4. Sweden
5. Netherlands
6. Costa Rica
7. Norway
8. Israel
9. Luxembourg
10. Mexico

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Afghanistan was again ranked as the world’s least happy country (147th position). Sierra Leone in West Africa placed second from bottom, while Lebanon ranked third from last.

What does the World Happiness Report measure?

The World Happiness Report measures subjective well-being through a multidimensional approach that extends beyond traditional economic indicators such as GDP.

The methodology incorporates several key variables that influence overall happiness:

• Income (GDP per capita): Economic resources available to citizens
• Social support: Having someone to rely on in times of need
• Healthy life expectancy: Years of healthy life expectancy at birth
• Freedom: Perceived freedom to make life choices
• Generosity: Charitable donations and helping behavior
• Perception of corruption: Trust in government and business institutions
• Positive and negative affect: Frequency of positive and negative emotions

The report, published annually since 2012, emerged from the UN High Level Meeting on happiness and well-being and is now produced by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network in partnership with the University of Oxford’s Wellbeing Research Centre.

Beyond the rankings, the World Happiness Report typically includes special chapters focusing on specific aspects of well-being, such as the impact of social connections, migration, or digital technology on happiness levels globally.