This is once again the happiest country in the world (and the Netherlands has risen one place)
My favorite song of all time is Shiny Happy People by R.E.M. But where are they, those super shiny and mega happy people? The World Happiness Report can tell us. It also tells us whether we Dutch belong to that club of happy, radiant people. Spoiler: we’re doing not nearly as badly as we sometimes think we are here. The happiest country in the world? For that, you have to go a little farther north.
What do you need to score well on to become the happiest country in the world? Several factors come into play. For example, the researchers looked at income, health and freedom, but also social support (family and friendship), gross domestic product (GDP), and the extent to which corruption occurs in a country. If things are going well in those areas, a country can easily end up very high on the list.
This is the happiest country in the world
The study included 147 countries from around the world. The researchers delved into data from 1,000 residents per country. And what result does that produce? Not very surprising: all Scandinavian countries are in the top 10. Finland is, as has been the case for 8 years now, the happiest country in the world. Denmark, Iceland and Sweden complete the top 4 in that order. The true lucky ones are roaming around the northern part of our continent.
The Dutch: a happy people
And who is shining in fifth place? That’s right, the Netherlands rounds out the top 5 happiest countries in the world! We’ve even risen one place compared with last year. In the 2024 report, we were in sixth place. We may grumble quite a bit about the weather, expensive groceries and the tax authorities, but secretly we’re all having a pretty happy time.
Unfortunately, many countries cannot speak of such happiness. The country in last place, at number 147, is Afghanistan, for example. Countries where war is raging, such as Ukraine and Yemen, also rank low on the list: 111th and 140th, respectively. Even more striking are the countries in 22nd and 24th place. 22nd place is assigned to Germany—quite low when you consider that Mexico, for example, is much higher in 10th place. 24th place goes to the United States: the lowest position the country has ever achieved. So much for America First.
Eating together makes us happy
The study shows that we consider the social aspect of our population extremely important. Trusting your fellow human beings, being able to rely on one another and being willing to do things for others. But also: sharing. The study shows that sharing food is directly linked to well-being and happiness. It makes us feel connected to the other person.
A good reason to organize a dinner for your friends again, I’d say. If we all do that much more this year, perhaps we’ll be number 1 next year. (You do need to shake off these annoyances first, though. Otherwise, I’m afraid it’ll be a difficult story.)
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