Happiness Rankings 2022

Since 2002, the World Happiness Report has used statistical analysis to determine the world's happiest countries. In its 2021 update, the report concluded that Finland is the happiest country in the world. To determine the world's happiest country, researchers analyzed comprehensive Gallup polling data from 146 countries for the past three years, specifically monitoring performance in six particular categories: gross domestic product per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make your own life choices, generosity of the general population, and perceptions of internal and external corruption levels.

In order to properly compare each country's data, the researchers created a fictional country—christened Dystopia—filled with "the world's least-happy people." They then set Dystopia as the rock bottom value in each of the six categories and measured the scores of the real-world countries against this value. All six variables were then blended to create a single combined score for each country. Interestingly enough, the top seven happiest countries in the world for 2021 were all Northern European countries. Finland took top honors—for the fourth year in a row—with an overall score of 7.842, followed (in order) by Denmark (7.620), Switzerland (7.571), Iceland (7.554), the Netherlands (7.464), Norway (7.392), and Sweden (7.363).

The least happy country in the world for 2021 was Afghanistan, whose 146th-place ranking of 2.523 can be attributed in part to a low life expectancy rate and low gross domestic product rates per capita. It's worthwhile to note that the report was released before the recent Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, which will undoubtedly impact future scores in one way or another. Rounding out the bottom five are Zimbabwe (3.145), Rwanda (3.415), Botswana (3.467), and Lesotho (3.512). For more on the top seven—as well as an inspiring honorable mention on Bhutan, click here for this Happiness report.

Note there are 49 countries missing, many of the missing countries are small, young, or chose not to participate: 1. Andorra, 2. Angola, 3. Antigua & Barbuda, 4. Bahamas, 5. Barbados, 6. Belize, 7. Bhutan, 8. Brunei, 9. Cabo Verde, 10. Central African Republic, 11. Cuba, 12. Democratic Republic of Congo, 13. Djibouti, 14. Dominica, 15. Equatorial Guinea, 16. Eritrea, 17. Fiji, 18. Grenada, 19. Guinea-Bissau, 20. Guyana, 21. Kiribati, 22. Liechtenstein, 23. Marshall Islands, 24. Micronesia, 25. Monaco, 26. Nauru, 27. North Korea, 28. Oman, 29. Palau, 30. Papua New Guinea, 31. Qatar, 32. Saint Kitts and Nevis, 33. Saint Lucia, 34. Saint Vincent and Grenadines, 35. Samoa, 36. San Marino, 37. Sao Tome and Principe, 38. Seychelles, 39. Solomon Islands, 40. Somalia, 41. South Sudan, 42. Sudan, 43. Suriname, 44. Syria, 45. Timor-Leste, 46. Tonga, 47. Trinidad and Tobago, 48. Tuvalu, 49. Vanuatu.
Two countries are extra unrecognized members: Hong Kong and Taiwan.
UN has 193 members so, less 49, plus 2 equals 146 on list.

Click a column heading, e.g. "Country", to sort. Click REFRESH to restore original layout.

** End of List