The 10 Happiest Countries in the World

Happiness, unlike cost of living or exchange rates, is a difficult thing to measure, but one initiative at the United Nations thinks it can get close to figuring it out. In honor of the International Day of Happiness on March 20, the U.N. Sustainable Development Solutions Network has published the 2019 World Happiness Report—an annual study that examines the connections between happiness and development (while encouraging policymakers to place more of an emphasis on happiness, rather than the more easily quantifiable measures of development). Around 1,000 people in every U.N. member state rate their quality of life on a scale from 0 to 10, while researchers cull data from six areas—GDP per capita, life expectancy, social support, trust and corruption, perceived freedom to make life decisions, and generosity. While you may not be lucky enough to find yourself in one of these blisstopias today, we still recommend slapping a smile on your face and paying it forward.

1. Finland

For the second year in a row, Finland is number one when it comes to happiness. The country consistently ranks among the top education systems in the world, occasionally only beaten out by South Korea, Japan, and Singapore. Much of that educational success comes from a widespread reverence for teachers, who are required to have a master’s degree (state-funded), and a pedagogical system that focuses less on quantitative testing and more on experiential learning and equal opportunity. To celebrate their ranking, the country’s tourism board is launching a contest where the eight winners get a free summer trip to experience that happiness for themselves and explore the Finnish landscape, alongside a local host. The “Rent a Finn” contest runs through April 4, 2019.

2. Denmark

Denmark moved up a spot this year, from third on the list to number two. The country rates near the top in all the metrics the data geeks at the U.N. pored over for the report—life expectancy, social support, and generosity among them—but it is also a country hugely committed to renewable energy production (39.1 percent of its energy was wind-generated in 2014). Home to the world’s most bike-friendly city and a coastline that you could spend a lifetime exploring, the country’s happiness certainly comes in part from a respect for the planet it’s built on. But a recent study from the Copenhagen-based Happiness Research Institute (whose existence is probably reason enough for a top spot) narrows down Denmark’s happiness to a number of different categories, including trust in the government, economic security, freedom, civil participation, and work-life balance. Our main takeaway from the institute’s continuing research is that if you want to be happy, the first step is to stop stressing about how happy you are…and go for a bike ride.

3. Norway

Norway has been dropping in the ranks since 2017—when it held the top spot—and this year it comes in as the third-happiest country in the world. But, there’s not too much to complain about. Like the U.N. shows, year after year, in its Human Development Report, where Norway has taken the top spot for 13 years in a row, there is more to the country that makes it so livable—and its people so happy. The mix of a well-integrated government welfare system and a thriving economy built on responsible management of its natural resources (good riddance, fossil fuel-powered cars), means that very few are left behind, and the feelings of social support, trust in government, and economic well-being that come from that all contribute to overall happiness.

4. Iceland

Iceland ranks high in terms of the proportion of respondents who said they felt like they had a fellow citizen to count on when the going gets rough. This perhaps became most obvious in the wake of the country’s post-2007 financial collapse and subsequent revitalization. You’d think that the perpetual flood of American tourists arriving into Reykjavik might have dealt a blow to the residents’ happiness—it’s got to be a little harder to get that dinner reservation than it used to be, after all—but when it comes to well-being, the Icelanders are unfazed. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that they can always escape the city to a countryside that looks like another planet.

5. Netherlands

The biggest stat from the Netherlands this year? That its happiness levels have barely changed (we’re talking less than 0.03 percent) between 2005 and 2018. And in the Netherlands, it turns out, happiness starts young. A 2013 Unicef report rated Dutch children the happiest in the world, based on a number of metrics related to educational well-being, safety, and health. Vincent van Gogh was the exception, not the rule.

6. Switzerland

From how many vacation days workers should have to how many immigrants should be allowed into the country, Switzerland is a country where everything is voted on, and referendums down to the local level happen many times a year. This system of direct democracy means that Swiss citizens feel an unparalleled sense of participation in their country’s evolution, from landmark decisions on human rights to whether a new traffic light should be installed in their neighborhood. The Swiss are known to be insular, and it can be off-putting to first time visitors, but there is a strong social fabric held together by a belief that every voice matters, which can go a long way toward feeling content. This political outlook also may help explain why three of its cities—Basel, Geneva, and Zurich—made the top 10 rankings of the best cities for expats.

7. Sweden

This year, Sweden continued to jump up in the rankings, from the ninth spot last year to the seventh. A high GDP per capita, which it shares with many of its Nordic neighbors, is not the sole reason, either: An emphasis on social equality that is built into the education system starting in kindergarten, 16 months of paid family leave that can be split between a couple after a new child is welcomed into a family, and free day care also make Sweden the best country for women, according to a separate study. Basically, an emphasis on work-life balance leads to a happier populace. Turns out feeling productive and rested leads to major smiles. Are you listening, New York City?

8. New Zealand

Sure to fuel an already burning rivalry, New Zealand beat its neighbor Australia, who didn’t even make the top 10, this year. Condé Nast Traveler readers say, year after year, that Kiwis are a warm, welcoming bunch, but according to the U.N.’s research, a lot of that comes from satisfaction not only when they’re out and about, but also in the workplace. We would guess the country’s vast natural wealth—its beaches, vineyards, and mountains—plays a role, too.

9. Canada

Here’s yet another reason for all those Americans to grab their best hiking boots and head north. The only country from the Americas to have made it into the top 10, Canada’s number nine placement is proof that money isn’t everything, as it beats out its neighbor (the U.S. came at number 19, down from 18 last year). Canada’s best ranking? In its citizens sense of freedom to make their own life choices.

10. Austria

Knocking out Australia from the top 10, Austria made the cut with high scores in life expectancy and GDP per capita. Remember when we mentioned that taking a bike ride might help with happiness rankings? Well consider this: biking is one of our favorite ways to get around Austria (well, at least its wine country).