No need to keep you in suspense, Czechia snagged the 20th spot, right behind Austria, Slovenia, Germany, and Kosovo, which is sitting at 16th. But which countries are the absolute best to live in? Check out the TOP 10.
The annual report, released for the United Nations International Day of Happiness, ranks over 140 countries based on how people rate their quality of life. The data mainly comes from the Gallup World Poll, and experts look into not just feelings of happiness, but also social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and the role of corruption in each country.
10. Switzerland
Closing out the top 10 is a country known for high democracy through referendums and producing a ton of cheese. Not sure if these things helped boost its rank, but hey, they jumped up three spots since last year.
9. Luxembourg
Luxembourg, the smallest country in the Western European Benelux, held its ground at number nine. Known for having the highest GDP per capita, nearly double that of the Netherlands in second place.
8. Israel
Citizens of the country involved in bombing neighboring lands, ground invasions, illegal territorial expansions, and ongoing conflict in Gaza for over two years, surprisingly feel like the eighth happiest globally.
7. Netherlands
Another Benelux country making it into the top 10 is the Netherlands. Just keeping afloat against rising sea levels, the country offers stunning landscapes, endless tulip fields, windmills, and a laid-back cannabis market. Wonder what makes the Dutch so happy?
6. Norway
At number six, we hit the yearly dominance of Scandinavian countries. The "worst" among them this year is Norway. Known for its beautiful nature, coastal fjords, wooden churches, and social democracy.
5. Sweden
Opening the top 5 is Sweden, another Scandinavian social democracy. Similar to Norway, Sweden is a constitutional monarchy and is famous for IKEA and their tasty meatballs.
4. Costa Rica
Just missing a medal spot is a surprising entry! Costa Rica in Central America has shot up the Forbes rankings in recent years. No wonder, with lovely beaches and a country name that literally means "rich coast."
3. Denmark
Bronze goes to the birthplace of LEGO and the Little Mermaid. The Scandinavian country nearest to the Czech Republic is again under social democratic rule and a constitutional monarchy. Coincidence, or is it the LEGO?
2. Iceland
Did you know Iceland is one of the few places in the world with no mosquitoes? This volcanic island frequently disrupts global flights with eruptions, but no one complains about mosquito bites here.
1. Finland
And the winner of this ranking, the happiest country in the world, is the Republic of Finland. It totally dominated with an average score of 7.764 out of ten, leaving most other countries in the dust.
Which of these happiest countries would you like to visit?
