The World Happiness Index published by the University of Oxford aims to measure happiness using six factors: healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom to make life choices, generosity, GDP per capita, and perceptions of corruption.
Since 2021, Finland, Iceland, and Denmark have consistently formed the top three countries where people are the happiest. Costa Rica has recorded the strongest rise, moving from 23rd place in 2022 to 4th place in the latest ranking published on March 19, 2026.
Sweden (5th), Norway (6th), the Netherlands (7th), Israel (8th), Luxembourg (9th), and Switzerland (10th) complete the top 10.
Botswana (143rd), Zimbabwe (144th), Malawi (145th), Sierra Leone (146th), and Afghanistan (147th) occupy the bottom positions in the ranking.
The populations of major and middle powers do not rank among the very happiest: the United States is in 23rd place, China 65th, India 116th, Russia 79th, Germany 17th, France 35th, Italy 38th, Canada 25th, Brazil 32nd, Spain 41st, and Mexico 12th.
Most of the countries that have improved the most since the first measurement in 2012 are located in Central and Eastern Europe: Serbia, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Romania, and Bosnia and Herzegovina recorded the largest gains, of 1.878 points, 1.722 points, 1.688 points, 1.596 points, and 1.568 points respectively. This appears to reflect a convergence toward the level of well-being seen in Western European countries.
Conversely, most of the countries showing significant declines in the index are located in or near major conflict zones: Afghanistan lost 2.594 points, Zimbabwe 1.481 points, Venezuela 1.283 points, Lebanon 1.208 points, and Jordan 0.936 points.
Here is the happiness index ranking of the top 50 countries:
| Pays | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
| Finland | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Iceland | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Denmark | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Costa Rica | 4 | 6 | 12 |
| Sweden | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Norway | 6 | 7 | 7 |
| Netherlands | 7 | 5 | 6 |
| Israel | 8 | 8 | 5 |
| Luxembourg | 9 | 9 | 8 |
| Switzerland | 10 | 13 | 9 |
| New Zealand | 11 | 12 | 11 |
| Mexico | 12 | 10 | 25 |
| Ireland | 13 | 15 | 17 |
| Belgium | 14 | 14 | 16 |
| Australia | 15 | 11 | 10 |
| Kosovo | 16 | 29 | 29 |
| Germany | 17 | 22 | 24 |
| Slovenia | 18 | 19 | 21 |
| Austria | 19 | 17 | 14 |
| Czechia | 20 | 20 | 18 |
| United Arab Emirates | 21 | 21 | 22 |
| Saudi Arabia | 22 | 32 | 28 |
| United States | 23 | 24 | 23 |
| Poland | 24 | 26 | 35 |
| Canada | 25 | 18 | 15 |
| Taiwan Province of China | 26 | 27 | 31 |
| Belize | 27 | 25 | NC |
| Lithuania | 28 | 16 | 19 |
| United Kingdom | 29 | 23 | 20 |
| Serbia | 30 | 31 | 37 |
| Uruguay | 31 | 28 | 26 |
| Brazil | 32 | 36 | 44 |
| Kazakhstan | 33 | 43 | 49 |
| Romania | 34 | 35 | 32 |
| France | 35 | 33 | 27 |
| Singapore | 36 | 34 | 30 |
| El Salvador | 37 | 37 | 33 |
| Italy | 38 | 40 | 41 |
| Panama | 39 | 41 | 39 |
| Kuwait | 40 | 30 | 13 |
| Spain | 41 | 38 | 36 |
| Guatemala | 42 | 44 | 42 |
| Malta | 43 | 48 | 40 |
| Argentina | 44 | 42 | 48 |
| Viet Nam | 45 | 46 | 54 |
| Estonia | 46 | 39 | 34 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 47 | 56 | 65 |
| Latvia | 48 | 51 | 46 |
| Jamaica | 49 | 73 | 67 |
| Chile | 50 | 45 | 38 |
Sources :
– Happiness Index Dashboard | WHR
– World Happiness Report | University of Oxford
