Suffering And Smiling? Nigeria Drops to 105th Spot Out of 147 World Happiest Nations As Finland Tops List Again - Report
Israel Adeleke, Olufemi Orunsola
OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports that amid increasing economic hardships and worsening insecurity in Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria has dropped to the 105th spot out of 147 nations in the 2025 World Happiness Report, unveiled on Thursday, March 20, while Finland maintained its topmost rankings.
OTN News further reports that the report which was compiled by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford in collaboration with Gallup, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network and an independent editorial board, released in commemoration of the International Day of Hapiness on March 20, showed that the rankings are based on factors related to social, physical, and emotional well-being.
According to the report, Finland retained its place as the world’s happiest country, followed by Denmark and Iceland.
Furthermore, the report stated that Finland, Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden maintained their positions from the 2024 rankings as the top four nations, while Norway landed at No.7.
Meanwhile, two Latin American nations made it into the top 10, for the first time, with Costa Rica at No.6 and Mexico at No.10.
Also ranked is the Netherlands at No.5, Israel at No.8, and Luxembourg at No.9, completed the top 10 list.
However, it was noted that the United States, (US) which fell out of the top 20 for the first time last year, now ranks No.24.
OTN News recalls that Last year’s report focused on happiness disparities across age groups, noting a decline in well-being among younger populations in multiple countries.
The US reached its highest ranking of No.11 back in 2012. The latest report also highlights a 53% rise in the number of Americans dining alone over the past 20 years.
OTN News observes that the decline in happiness is not exclusive to the UK. The United Kingdom, now at No.23, recorded its lowest average life satisfaction since 2017.
Meanwhile, Canada, which has seen a downward trend in happiness over the past decade, remained in the top 20 at No.18.
However, Afghanistan was ranked last at No.147, followed by Sierra Leone at No.146, Lebanon at No.145, Malawi at No.144, and Zimbabwe at No.143, rounding out the five lowest-ranking countries in terms of happiness.
OTN News recalls that Nigeria has consistently ranked low on the World Happiness Report, a survey that assesses well-being based on factors such as income, social support, life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and corruption levels.
Nigeria’s ranking of 105th in the 2025 World Happiness Report reflects a continued decline in national well-being, dropping from 102nd in 2024 and 95th in 2023. The country was 85th in 2018 and lowest at 118th in 2021.
Notably, Finland's lead on the 2025 report marks the eighth consecutive year of topping the list as the world’s happiest nation, with an average life evaluation score of 7.736 out of 10. Other Nordic countries, including Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden, continue to hold prominent positions in the top rankings, underscoring the region’s consistent emphasis on social support and quality of life.
Among other things, rising inflation, increasing youth unemployment, and naira depreciation have eroded Nigerians’ purchasing power, making necessities unaffordable for many. Also, the increasing youth unemployment and the ‘Japa’ migration trend show a lack of optimism about the country’s future.
The recent realities in Nigeria and the country’s ranking on the World Hapiness indexes therefore puts a big question mark on previously held notions about Nigerians as a people with an unusually high adversity quotient, capable of remaining happy and smiling despite going through incredible pains and sufferings.
What's Your Reaction?
