According to the newly published global happiness report, Finland continues to lead the world in citizen happiness, with Denmark securing the second position. Iceland (3) and Sweden (4) follow closely behind, maintaining the Nordic countries' strong presence at the top of the list. The Netherlands, a popular destination among Israeli tourists, claimed fifth place, while Costa Rica emerged as the highest-ranking non-European nation at sixth.
Norway, another Scandinavian country, occupies seventh place, with Israel following directly in eighth place. Despite the ongoing conflict, Israel has maintained its high ranking among the world's happiest countries, positioning ahead of Luxembourg and Mexico, which round out the top ten at places 9 and 10 respectively.
Australia (11) leads the second tier of happy nations, followed immediately by its neighbor New Zealand (12). Switzerland (13), Belgium (14), Ireland (15), and Lithuania (16) continue the list, with Austria, Canada, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic completing the top 20 happiest countries worldwide (places 17-20 respectively).
The least happy countries
At the bottom of the global rankings, Afghanistan remains in last place at 147th, with Sierra Leone just above at 146th. Lebanon, one of Israel's neighboring countries, ranks very low at 145th, followed by Malawi (144th) and Zimbabwe (143rd).
According to CNN, the comprehensive report draws on data from Gallup's global survey, which includes participants from more than 140 countries. The happiness rankings are determined based on average life evaluations over the previous three years – specifically 2022 through 2024 in this case. The report represents a collaborative effort between Gallup, the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and the System Commission.
