Mar 26, 2025 World Happiness Report 2025
The first day of spring is usually celebrated on March 21. However, in 2025, the spring equinox occurred at 5:01 AM EST on March 20. Additionally, the thirteenth World Happiness Report 2025 was released on March 20, coinciding with the UN-designated International Day of Happiness, which has been celebrated since 2012.
Each World Happiness Report features a table ranking countries worldwide based on their happiness levels. It is also focused on a specific theme each year. It contains multiple chapters written by various experts who examine different aspects of global well-being and happiness related to the theme. The theme for this year’s report is “The Impact of Caring and Sharing on People’s Happiness.” The chapters explore how prosocial behaviors and sharing contribute to overall happiness. The chapters in this report are as follows:
- Executive Summary
- Caring and Sharing
- Sharing Meals
- Living with Others
- Connecting with Others
- Supporting Others
- Trusting Others
- Giving to Others
World Countries and Happiness Rankings
The report ranks countries worldwide by happiness every year based on a single question from the Gallup World Poll. The question is…
“Please imagine a ladder with steps numbered from zero at the bottom to ten at the top. The top of the ladder represents the best possible life for you and the bottom of the ladder represents the worst possible life for you. On which step of the ladder would you say you personally feel you stand at this time?”
The question is deliberately crafted to not refer to broad concepts such as happiness, well-being, or satisfaction. The question can also be easily translated and understood in many languages. The Gallup organization has been collecting data using this question since 2005. The countries consistently ranked at the top of the world happiness table include the four Nordic nations: Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. In 2025, Finland topped the rankings for the eighth year in a row, achieving a three-year average score of 7.736 out of a possible 10.
Following the release of the 2025 Report, many media stories highlighted the decline in the United States’ ranking, which fell from 23rd to 24th place. The highest ranking achieved by the United States was 15th in 2023. The drop in the U.S.A. ranking reportedly stems from increasing dissatisfaction among younger American generations. In contrast, older American adults (over 60) ranked 10th in global happiness. Canada also fell in the rankings while other North American countries rose. Costa Rica rose from 23rd in 2023 to 6th in 2025, while Mexico jumped from 25th in 2024 to 10th in 2025.
The Economic Times reports that Western industrialized countries are generally less happy now than they were between 2005 and 2010. Fifteen countries have experienced significant declines in happiness, while only four have seen increases. Three Western nations—the United States, Switzerland, and Canada—have faced substantial declines, each exceeding 0.5 on a scale from 0 to 10.
The Nordic countries’ high happiness rankings are generally attributed to their extensive social welfare programs, strong community connections, and robust interactions with nature. Finland also benefits from low levels of corruption and a cultural emphasis on balance rather than relentless hustle. Some may find it surprising that the long winters do not significantly reduce happiness in the Nordic countries. However, the 2025 World Happiness Report editors note that weather has a minimal effect on overall happiness levels.
2025 Specific Theme – Caring and Sharing
Each World Happiness Report usually features a specific theme and includes chapters by various experts who analyze different aspects of global well-being and happiness related to that theme. Several examples are provided.
In Chapter 2, titled “Caring and Sharing,” a 2019 study published in Science is referenced. This study investigated the return of “lost” wallets. Volunteers in 355 cities across forty countries turned in 17,000 “lost” wallets, each containing different amounts of money, to both public and private institutions. The researchers measured whether the recipients of these wallets made an effort to contact the “owners” to return them.
The findings revealed an interesting trend: citizens were more likely to return wallets with higher amounts of money. This was contrary to the predictions of experienced economists, who anticipated that wallets with smaller amounts would be returned more frequently. The study’s results indicated higher honesty among citizens than expected. The researchers hypothesized that this behavior is driven by basic altruism and individual self-perception; most people do not wish to see themselves as thieves, so they are more inclined to contact the “owner” when a wallet contains more money. The authors of the 2025 World Happiness Report suggest that if people were more positive regarding the benevolence of their fellow citizens, they would be happier.
Chapter 3, titled “Sharing Meals,” explores sharing meals with others and emphasizes the differences in meal-sharing habits across various countries. People commonly share meals in some regions, while in others, many dine alone. For instance, in the USA, about 25% of people reported eating all their meals alone the previous day in 2023, which represents a 53% increase in solitary dining in the USA since 2003.
Chapter 7, titled “Trusting Others,” examines how generalized trust influences contemporary political behavior and contributes to polarization. The findings reveal that individuals with low levels of trust who are unhappy and drawn to political extremes often gravitate towards far-right populists. In contrast, high-trust individuals who are unhappy and drawn to political extremes tend to favor left-wing populists.
Chapter 8, titled “Giving to Others,” discusses how to measure the impact of the $500 billion donated annually worldwide to enhance the well-being of others. The chapter evaluates the cost-effectiveness of different charities using a standardized metric known as well-being life years (WELLBYs). Ideally, donors want their contributions to achieve maximum impact, meaning they prefer charities that deliver WELLBYs cheaply. According to Chapter 8, the cost of providing one WELLBY varies significantly, ranging from as low as $10 to as high as $40,000 among the 22 charities assessed.
The editors of the various annual World Happiness Reports continue to produce important multi-authored documents covering a wide range of insights examining what affects global happiness and well-being and how public policies might increase global well-being. The reports are freely available and generate one WELLBY at a cost of $0!