Finland ranked world’s happiest country for ninth consecutive year

Finland has again been named the world’s happiest country, marking the ninth year in a row it has topped the annual World Happiness Report, according to public broadcaster Yle.

The rankings are based on self-assessed life satisfaction, with Finns rating their quality of life an average of 7.8 on a scale from 0 to 10. The report relies solely on responses from individuals evaluating their own lives, rather than external assessments.

Costa Rica saw the most significant rise, climbing to 12th place after ranking 23rd in 2023. Former top-ranked Switzerland returned to the top ten after a one-year absence. Notably, no English-speaking countries appeared in the top ten, a repeat of last year’s results.

Countries in or near major conflict zones remained at the bottom of the list. Experts attribute differences in rankings to factors such as GDP per capita, life expectancy, perceived freedom, low corruption, and social support networks—particularly the sense of having someone to rely on.