The 50 Happiest Countries In The World

October 8, 2024 | Jesse Singer

The 50 Happiest Countries In The World

World Happiness Report

April 1, 2012 saw the release of the first World Happiness Report and they have been released annually since 2016. The rankings are determined based on various life factors—such as social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, etc. Ranking also incorporate a happiness measurement survey done by Gallup around the world, in which respondents are asked to think of the best possible life for them being a 10, and the worst possible life being a 0. Put everything together and each country is given a World Happiness Score—which is determined as an average of the previous three years.

For this list we will look at the top 50 countries ranked in the 2024 report, as well as their score and where they place in the previous 2023 report.

Happy Country Split L

50: Cyprus (6.07)

Position in 2023: 46 (6.13)

Cyprus- Famagusta Old Town aerial view Alp Galip, Shutterstock

49: Kazakhstan (6.19)

Position in 2023: 44 (6.14)

Astana bridge over the Ishim River - Kazakhstan 2011 Asian Development Bank, Flickr

48: Argentina (6.19)

Position in 2023: 52 (6.02)

Beautiful colorful buildings in El Caminito, La Boca, BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA 2024 Cavan-Images, Shutterstock

47: Uzbekistan (6.2)

Position in 2023: 54 (6.01)

Woman in a traditional robe admires the town of Ichan-Kala - Uzbekistan Lizavetta, Shutterstock

46: Latvia (6.23)

Position in 2023: 41 (6.21)

People dine on the open veranda of cafes on Livu square in Riga Old Town. - Latvia 2023 Tanya Keisha, Shutterstock

45: Slovakia (6.26)

Position in 2023: 29 (6.47)

The 16-spot swing in the rankings is the largest drop of any country in the 2024 top 50. Their -.21 point decrease is also the biggest drop of any top 50 country.

Cityscape image of shopping street in downtown Bratislava , capital city of Slovakia - 2024 f11photo, Shutterstock

44: Brazil (6.27)

Position in 2023: 49 (6.13)

Christ The Redeemer At Corcovado Mountains In Rio De Janeiro Brazil - 2023 ByDroneVideos, Shutterstock

43: Nicaragua (6.28)

Position in 2023: 40 (6.26)

Cathedral and Parque Central in Granada, Nicaragua - 2016 Matyas Rehak, Shutterstock

42: Guatemala (6.29)

Position in 2023: 43 (6.15)

Cathedral of Guatemala City (Metropolitan Cathedral) - Guatemala 2018 Lucy.Brown, Shutterstock

41: Italy (6.32)

Position in 2023: 33 (6.41)

Little red old Fiat 500 in front of coliseum at sunset with picnic basket on rear - Rome,Italy 2021 Karl Allen Lugmayer, Shutterstock

40: Malta (6.35)

Position in 2023: 37 (6.30)

The view of St Lucia street during Christmas time in Valletta, Malta - 2022 fansquaresss, Shutterstock

39: Panama (6.36)

Position in 2023: 38 (6.26)

Corpus Christi in the old town of Panama City - 2023 Zeluloidea, Shutterstock

38: Chile (6.36)

Position in 2023: 35 (6.33)

People are practicing traditional Chilean dances in front of The Centro Cultural Estacion Mapocho - Santiago, Chile 2022 Alexey Stiop, Shutterstock

37: Serbia (6.41)

Position in 2023: 45 (6.14)

Belgrade's charm with a portrait of a young woman, enchanted by the city's historic landmarks. frantic00, Shutterstock

36: Spain (6.42)

Position in 2023: 32 (6.44)

Beautiful buildings in the downtown area of Madrid. Dennis Jarvis, Flickr

35: Poland (6.44)

Position in 2023: 39 (6.26)

Colorful umbrellas on the street in Gdansk ,Poland - 2024 Patryk Kosmider, Shutterstock

34: Estonia (6.45)

Position in 2023: 31 (6.46)

Tallin Old town on july Richard Cavalleri, Shutterstock

33: El Salvador (6.47)

Position in 2023: 50 (6.12)

El Salvador's 17-spot swing was the largest change—up or down—of any country in the 2024 top 50. Their .35 point increase is tied for the most of aPosition inny country in the top 50.

Portrait of young Hispanic tourists with bicycles in the central park in El Salvador. SALMONNEGRO-STOCK, Shutterstock

32: Romania (6.49)

Position in 2023: 24 (6.59)

Pedestrian area in the old town center of Brasov. Romania 2023 Cristi Croitoru, Shutterstock

31: Taiwan (6.5)

Position in 2023: 27 (6.54)

Military Police Officers changing the guards in the National Revolutionary Martyrs' Shrine, Taipei, Taiwan - 2023 Jack Hong, Shutterstock

30: Singapore (6.52)

Position in 2023: 25 (6.59)

Singapore Skyline 2019 Unwicked, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

29: Kosovo (6.56)

Position in 2023: 34 (score unavailable)

The Pristina Public Library “Pjeter Bogdani” - 2019 UN Women Europe and Central Asia, Flickr

28: Saudi Arabia (6.59)

Position in 2023: 30 (6.46)

Drone shot King Fahd Road in Riyadh capital city of Saudi Arabia - 2024 Q world, Shutterstock

27: France (6.61)

Position in 023: 21 (6.66)

Parisian café covered with a beautiful exuberant floral decoration - Paris 2024 HJBC, Shutterstock

26: Uruguay (6.61)

Position in 2023: 28 (6.49)

Museo Toerres Garcia in the old town of Montevideo, capital of Uruguay - 2022 Todamo, Shutterstock

25: Mexico (6.68)

Position in 2023: 36 (6.33)

Mexico's .35 point increase is tied for the most of any country in the 2024 top 50.

Madero Street and the Latin American Tower - Mexico City, Mexico 2024 Victor SG, Shutterstock

24: Germany (6.72)

Position in 2023: 16: (6.89)

Oktoberfest or duld in national costume or Dirndl with pretzel r.classen, Shutterstock

23: United States (6.73)

Position in 2023: 15 (6.89)

New York City - Times Square Aurelien Guichard, Flickr

22: United Arab Emirates (6.73)

Position in 2023: 26 (6.57)

Woman with a white hat is standing on a balcony in front of the skyline from Dubai Downtown Cara-Foto, Shutterstock

21: Slovenia (6.74)

Position in 2023: 22 (6.65)

Young girl with backpack on Triple Bridge in heart of Ljubljana Old Town - Slovenia Natalia Deriabina, Shutterstock

20: United Kingdom (6.75)

Position in 2023: 19 (6.8)

Big Ben tower and double-decker buses on Westminster bridge - London 2024 Mistervlad, Shutterstock

19: Lithuania (6.82)

Position in 2023: 20 (6.76)

Bell Tower and facade of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Stanislaus and St. Vladislav on Cathedral Square - Vilnius in Lithuania Sheviakova Kateryna, Shutterstock

18: Czech Republic (6.82)

Position in 2023: 18 (6.84)

Tourists pass by shops and cafes in a picturesque section of Old Town Prague, Czech Republic - 2016 Kirk Fisher, Shutterstock

17: Ireland (6.84)

Position in 2023: 14 (6.91)

Street scene in Dublin, Ireland on Feb 15, 2014. VanderWolf Images, Shutterstock

16: Belgium (6.89)

Position in 2023: 17 (6.86)

Fontaine Anspach fountain at Old Port Fish market square Vismarkt in old town Brussels city historical center - 2023 Aliaksandr Antanovich, Shutterstock

15: Canada (6.9)

Position in 2023: 13 (6.96)

People cycling in Toronto Downtown. Toronto, Canada - 2024 Erman Gunes, Shutterstock

14: Austria (6.91)

Position in 2023: 11 (7.1)

Famous shopping Graben street in Wien old town - Vienna 2024 Arcady, Shutterstock

13: Kuwait (6.95)

Position in 2023: n/a

Position in 2022: 50 (6.11)

The Kuwait Towers - the best known landmark of Kuwait City - 2015 charlet prasad, Shutterstock

12: Costa Rica (6.96)

Position in 2023: 23 (6.61)

Costa Rica's .35 point increase is tied for the most of any country in the 2024 top 50.

Cartago, Costa Rica Gianfranco Vivi, Shutterstock

11: New Zealand (7.03)

Position in 2023: 10 (7.12)

New Zealand is the only country from the 2023 list to fall out of the top 10 in 2024 (albeit, just barely).

People cross the bridge that links the Wynyard district to the Viaduct Marina in Auckland, New Zealand - 2017 AsiaTravel, Shutterstock

10: Australia (7.06)

Position in 2023: 12 (7.09)

Australia is the only new entrant in the top 10 for the 2024 rankings.

People playing chess in front of the State Library of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia - 2023 ben bryant, Shutterstock

9: Switzerland (7.06)

Position in 2023: 8 (7.24)

Traditional retro horse-drawn carriages carrying tourists in Zermatt, Switzerland - 2023 Olha Solodenko, Shutterstock

8: Luxembourg (7.12)

Position in 2023: 9 (7.23)

The center of Luxembourg City - 2024 Bumble Dee, Shutterstock

7: Norway (7.3)

Position in 2023: 7 (7.32)

A couple sits on a rocky outcropping overlooking a majestic Norwegian fjord fokke baarssen, Shutterstock

6: Netherlands (7.32)

Position in 2023: 5 (7.4)

Bicycle standing next to canal and flowers in Amsterdam, Netherlands Neirfy, Shutterstock

5: Israel (7.34)

Position in 2023: 4 (7.47)

View from the historic streets of Jaffa, an ancient Levantine port city - Israel 2023 ColorMaker, Shutterstock

4: Sweden (7.34)

Position in 2023: 6 (7.39)

Busy tourist street with souvenir shops in Stockholm old town - Sweden 2024 Arcady, Shutterstock

3: Iceland (7.53)

Position in 2023: 3 (7.53)

Interior of Kringlan Shopping Mall, Reykjavík, Iceland - 2024 Viggo Hansson, Shutterstock

2: Denmark (7.58)

Position in 2023: 2 (7.59)

Christianshavn, Nyhavn neighborhood, Copenhagen, Denmark - 2022 Michele Ursi, Shutterstock

1: Finland (7.74)

Position in 2023: 1 (7.8)

Finland has held the top spot on the list for seven years in a row.

The Day of City Celebration in center of Helsinki, Finland - 2018 Aleksandra Suzi, Shutterstock

WORLD HISTORY

Archaeologists discover animal skull in present-day Serbia, confirming for the first time that the animal was forced to participate in a brutal ancient spectacle.

For a long time, historians relied on Roman artwork and dramatic ancient texts to understand how wild animals were used in public spectacles. Bears, lions, and other predators appeared constantly in mosaics and writings—but there was always a lingering question about how literal those depictions really were. Were they exaggerated for effect, or did these events truly happen as described? A battered brown bear skull found in present-day Serbia has finally answered that question.

December 25, 2025 J. Clarke

WORLD HISTORY

Archaeologists have uncovered 1,400‑year‑old Mayan hieroglyphs naming a powerful queen, rewriting the history of the Mayan Dynasty.

For a long time, the ancient Maya story followed a familiar script: powerful kings, stone monuments, and dynasties ruled almost entirely by men. Then archaeologists started carefully piecing together a badly eroded stone monument at the jungle-covered city of Cobá, and that script quietly fell apart. Hidden in fading hieroglyphs was the name of a woman who didn’t just exist alongside Maya power—she wielded it.

December 24, 2025 J. Clarke

WORLD HISTORY

Prehistoric handprints in European caves show missing fingertips, and the reason for it is absolutely disturbing.

For years, archaeologists have wondered why sections of fingers are missing from prehistoric painted hand stencils in European caves. A new theory offers one disturbing explanation.

December 26, 2025 Sasha Wren

DESTINATIONS

The Best States For Off-Beat Winter Camping—Ranked According To Travelers

Explore 20 of the best lesser-known winter camping destinations in the U.S., featuring hidden gems, snow-covered views, and off-grid adventure. Discover where to pitch your tent away from the crowds this winter.

December 23, 2025 Allison Robertson

WORLD HISTORY

Archaeologists discover an ancient underwater harbor near Perinthos, raising new questions about its earliest inhabitants.

Perinthos has been quietly revealing its past for years—stone by stone, shard by shard. Archaeologists have uncovered theaters, temples, and fortifications on land, each discovery adding another layer to the city’s long story. But recently, the most surprising evidence didn’t come from the dirt. It came from beneath the water.

December 21, 2025 J. Clarke

WORLD HISTORY

Haunting Relics From The Ancient Past That We Honestly Think Would Have Been Better Off Left Buried

Most museum pieces sit quietly behind glass, harmless and historical. Then there are the others. Objects that carried weight in their time and somehow still do. Ancient cultures left evidence of their darkest beliefs.

December 18, 2025 Peter Kinney

HOME > DESTINATIONS

October 8, 2024

AUTHOR

Jesse Singer

Jesse Singer is a writer from Montreal who grew up obsessed with movies—and so it only makes sense that he graduated from McGill University with a degree in Political Science. He then put that degree to good use with a job at a video store (remember those?). He followed that up with months backpacking around Europe (a continent he’s returned to many times). And for the last couple decades he’s been writing online, and in print, for a number of different sites and publications covering everything from film & TV to website reviews, dating & culture, history, news, and sports. He’s worn many hats—which is ironic, because he loves wearing hats and has a rather sizable collection.

TRENDING

WEEKLY UPDATE

Incredible travel content, flight deals, and vacation tips delivered right to your inbox.

TRENDING

America's forgotten feats of architectural greatness that you will not find anywhere else in the world.

The 50 Happiest Countries In The World

The 50 Happiest Countries In The World

World Happiness Report

50: Cyprus (6.07)

49: Kazakhstan (6.19)

48: Argentina (6.19)

47: Uzbekistan (6.2)

46: Latvia (6.23)

45: Slovakia (6.26)

44: Brazil (6.27)

43: Nicaragua (6.28)

42: Guatemala (6.29)

41: Italy (6.32)

40: Malta (6.35)

39: Panama (6.36)

38: Chile (6.36)

37: Serbia (6.41)

36: Spain (6.42)

35: Poland (6.44)

34: Estonia (6.45)

33: El Salvador (6.47)

32: Romania (6.49)

31: Taiwan (6.5)

30: Singapore (6.52)

29: Kosovo (6.56)

28: Saudi Arabia (6.59)

27: France (6.61)

26: Uruguay (6.61)

25: Mexico (6.68)

24: Germany (6.72)

23: United States (6.73)

22: United Arab Emirates (6.73)

21: Slovenia (6.74)

20: United Kingdom (6.75)

19: Lithuania (6.82)

18: Czech Republic (6.82)

17: Ireland (6.84)

16: Belgium (6.89)

15: Canada (6.9)

14: Austria (6.91)

13: Kuwait (6.95)

12: Costa Rica (6.96)

11: New Zealand (7.03)

10: Australia (7.06)

9: Switzerland (7.06)

8: Luxembourg (7.12)

7: Norway (7.3)

6: Netherlands (7.32)

5: Israel (7.34)

4: Sweden (7.34)

3: Iceland (7.53)

2: Denmark (7.58)

1: Finland (7.74)

READ MORE

Archaeologists discover animal skull in present-day Serbia, confirming for the first time that the animal was forced to participate in a brutal ancient spectacle.

Archaeologists have uncovered 1,400‑year‑old Mayan hieroglyphs naming a powerful queen, rewriting the history of the Mayan Dynasty.

Prehistoric handprints in European caves show missing fingertips, and the reason for it is absolutely disturbing.

The Best States For Off-Beat Winter Camping—Ranked According To Travelers

Archaeologists discover an ancient underwater harbor near Perinthos, raising new questions about its earliest inhabitants.

Haunting Relics From The Ancient Past That We Honestly Think Would Have Been Better Off Left Buried

Want to read more?