World Happiness Report - 2018

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World Happiness Report - 2018

The World Happiness Report 2018, released by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network in collaboration with Gallup, provides a comprehensive assessment of global well-being. This edition focuses on migration and happiness, examining how happiness levels compare between immigrants and native-born populations. The report continues to assess happiness based on factors such as GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and perceptions of corruption.

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Year	Rank	Country	Ladder score (Happiness)
2,017	1	Finland	7.63
2,017	2	Norway	7.59
2,017	3	Denmark	7.56
2,017	4	Iceland	7.50
2,017	5	Switzerland	7.49
2,017	6	Netherlands	7.44
2,017	7	Canada	7.33
2,017	8	New Zealand	7.32
2,017	9	Sweden	7.31
2,017	10	Australia	7.27
2,017	11	Israel	7.19
2,017	12	Austria	7.14
2,017	13	Costa Rica	7.07
2,017	14	Ireland	6.98
2,017	15	Germany	6.97
2,017	16	Belgium	6.93
2,017	17	Luxembourg	6.91
2,017	18	United States	6.89
2,017	19	United Kingdom	6.81
2,017	20	United Arab Emirates	6.77
2,017	21	Czechia	6.71
2,017	22	Malta	6.63
2,017	23	France	6.49
2,017	24	Mexico	6.49
2,017	25	Chile	6.48
2,017	26	Taiwan Province of China	6.44
2,017	27	Panama	6.43
2,017	28	Brazil	6.42
2,017	29	Argentina	6.39
2,017	30	Guatemala	6.38
2,017	31	Uruguay	6.38
2,017	32	Qatar	6.37
2,017	33	Saudi Arabia	6.37
2,017	34	Singapore	6.34
2,017	35	Malaysia	6.32
2,017	36	Spain	6.31
2,017	37	Colombia	6.26
2,017	38	Trinidad and Tobago	6.19
2,017	39	Slovakia	6.17
2,017	40	El Salvador	6.17
2,017	41	Nicaragua	6.14
2,017	42	Poland	6.12
2,017	43	Bahrain	6.11
2,017	44	Uzbekistan	6.10
2,017	45	Kuwait	6.08
2,017	46	Thailand	6.07
2,017	47	Italy	6.00
2,017	48	Ecuador	5.97
2,017	49	Belize	5.96
2,017	50	Lithuania	5.95
2,017	51	Slovenia	5.95
2,017	52	Romania	5.95
2,017	53	Latvia	5.93
2,017	54	Japan	5.92
2,017	55	Mauritius	5.89
2,017	56	Jamaica	5.89
2,017	57	Republic of Korea	5.88
2,017	58	North Cyprus	5.84
2,017	59	Russian Federation	5.81
2,017	60	Kazakhstan	5.79
2,017	61	Cyprus	5.76
2,017	62	Bolivia	5.75
2,017	63	Estonia	5.74
2,017	64	Paraguay	5.68
2,017	65	Peru	5.66
2,017	66	Kosovo	5.66
2,017	67	Republic of Moldova	5.64
2,017	68	Turkmenistan	5.64
2,017	69	Hungary	5.62
2,017	70	Libya	5.57
2,017	71	Philippines	5.52
2,017	72	Honduras	5.50
2,017	73	Belarus	5.48
2,017	74	Türkiye	5.48
2,017	75	Pakistan	5.47
2,017	76	Hong Kong SAR of China	5.43
2,017	77	Portugal	5.41
2,017	78	Serbia	5.40
2,017	79	Greece	5.36
2,017	80	Tajikistan	5.35
2,017	81	Montenegro	5.35
2,017	82	Croatia	5.32
2,017	83	Dominican Republic	5.30
2,017	84	Algeria	5.30
2,017	85	Morocco	5.25
2,017	86	China	5.25
2,017	87	Azerbaijan	5.20
2,017	88	Lebanon	5.20
2,017	89	North Macedonia	5.19
2,017	90	Jordan	5.16
2,017	91	Nigeria	5.16
2,017	92	Kyrgyzstan	5.13
2,017	93	Bosnia and Herzegovina	5.13
2,017	94	Mongolia	5.13
2,017	95	Viet Nam	5.10
2,017	96	Indonesia	5.09
2,017	97	Bhutan	5.08
2,017	98	Somalia	4.98
2,017	99	Cameroon	4.98
2,017	100	Bulgaria	4.93
2,017	101	Nepal	4.88
2,017	102	Venezuela	4.81
2,017	103	Gabon	4.76
2,017	104	State of Palestine	4.74
2,017	105	South Africa	4.72
2,017	106	Iran	4.71
2,017	107	Côte d’Ivoire	4.67
2,017	108	Ghana	4.66
2,017	109	Senegal	4.63
2,017	110	Lao PDR	4.62
2,017	111	Tunisia	4.59
2,017	112	Albania	4.59
2,017	113	Sierra Leone	4.57
2,017	114	Congo	4.56
2,017	115	Bangladesh	4.50
2,017	116	Sri Lanka	4.47
2,017	117	Iraq	4.46
2,017	118	Mali	4.45
2,017	119	Namibia	4.44
2,017	120	Cambodia	4.43
2,017	121	Burkina Faso	4.42
2,017	122	Egypt	4.42
2,017	123	Mozambique	4.42
2,017	124	Kenya	4.41
2,017	125	Zambia	4.38
2,017	126	Mauritania	4.36
2,017	127	Ethiopia	4.35
2,017	128	Georgia	4.34
2,017	129	Armenia	4.32
2,017	130	Myanmar	4.31
2,017	131	Chad	4.30
2,017	132	DR Congo	4.25
2,017	133	India	4.19
2,017	134	Niger	4.17
2,017	135	Uganda	4.16
2,017	136	Benin	4.14
2,017	137	Sudan	4.14
2,017	138	Ukraine	4.10
2,017	139	Togo	4.00
2,017	140	Guinea	3.96
2,017	141	Lesotho	3.81
2,017	142	Angola	3.80
2,017	143	Madagascar	3.77
2,017	144	Zimbabwe	3.69
2,017	145	Afghanistan	3.63
2,017	146	Botswana	3.59
2,017	147	Malawi	3.59
2,017	148	Haiti	3.58
2,017	149	Liberia	3.50
2,017	150	Syria	3.46
2,017	151	Rwanda	3.41
2,017	152	Yemen	3.36
2,017	153	Tanzania	3.30
2,017	154	South Sudan	3.25
2,017	155	Central African Republic	3.08
2,017	156	Burundi	2.91

Rank – Country rank by happiness.
Country – Country Name.
Ladder score – The main happiness measure, based on the Cantril ladder where people rate their life on a scale from 0 (worst possible life) to 10 (best possible life).

Source	https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2025/#appendices-and-data
Geo	Global
Entries	156
Columns	3
Date Sourced	2025
Last Updated	Mar 22, 2025

Insights

Use Cases

Finland ranked as the world's happiest country in 2018, with a score of 7.632, followed closely by Norway and Denmark. These Nordic countries consistently perform well in areas such as social support, income, and life expectancy. The report highlights that the happiness of immigrants closely aligns with that of the native-born population, suggesting that the overall happiness of a country benefits both groups.

In contrast, countries at the bottom of the rankings, such as Burundi and the Central African Republic, face challenges including low GDP per capita, limited social support, and political instability, which contribute to lower happiness scores.

Access the full report here: World Happiness Report 2018.

Top 10 Happiest Countries in 2018:

Finland – 7.63
Norway - 7.59
Denmark - 7.56
Iceland – 7.50
Switzerland - 7.49
Netherlands - 7.44
Canada - 7.33
New Zealand – 7.32
Sweden - 7.31
Australia - 7.27

Bottom 10 Happiest Countries in 2018:

Burundi - 2.91
Central African Republic - 3.08
South Sudan - 3.25
Tanzania - 3.30
Yemen - 3.36
Rwanda - 3.41
Syria - 3.46
Liberia - 3.50
Haiti - 3.58
Malawi - 3.59

Education & Research

Curriculum Development: Integrate findings into courses on sociology, psychology, and public health to discuss the impact of social connections on well-being.
Further Research: Investigate the causal relationships between communal activities and happiness levels across different cultures.

Policy Making

Community Programs: Develop initiatives that encourage communal dining and social gatherings to strengthen community bonds.
Mental Health Services: Address the rising trend of social isolation, especially among youth, by providing accessible mental health resources.

Media & Journalism

Public Awareness: Highlight stories that showcase acts of kindness and community support to foster a more optimistic societal outlook.
Data Visualisation: Create infographics and interactive content to present the report's findings in an engaging manner.

General Public

Community Engagement: Participate in local events, volunteer opportunities, and communal meals to enhance personal well-being.
Foster Trust: Recognise and appreciate acts of kindness in daily life, contributing to a more trusting and connected community.

World Happiness Report - 2018

Education & Research

Policy Making

Media & Journalism

General Public

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