Ukraine has dropped to 111th place in the 2025 Happiness Ranking, losing six positions compared to last year. Finland remains the leader of the list for the eighth year in a row, demonstrating the highest levels of life satisfaction among its citizens.
According to the World Happiness Report 2025, which is based on data from the Gallup World Poll and other sources, the average level of happiness in Finland was 7.736 points out of 10. Costa Rica and Mexico are in the top ten of this year’s ranking for the first time, while among European countries, Lithuania, Slovenia and the Czech Republic are showing growth, which indicates a gradual convergence of well-being levels between Eastern, Central and Western Europe.
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At the same time, the United States dropped to 24th place, which is the lowest ranking for the country in the history of the study. The UK also reported the lowest average level of happiness since 2017. The authors of the report emphasise that public trust and belief in the goodness of others have a significant impact on happiness. In particular, the Nordic countries, which traditionally occupy the top positions in the ranking, also have high levels of social trust.
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The study found that people often underestimate the level of kindness in their communities. The actual rate of return of lost wallets is twice as high as expected, and the belief that someone will return a lost wallet is a strong indicator of the overall level of happiness in the country. Experts also point to the connection between happiness and social connections: shared meals and a larger household size are positively correlated with well-being.
The results of the World Happiness Report 2025 were published on 20 March in honour of the UN International Day of Happiness.
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