Regrettably, Latvia Drops Out of the Top 50 rankings of the Happiest Nations
In the recently published 2025 United Nations World Happiness Report, Finland has secured the top position for the sixth consecutive year, with a score of 7.74 out of 10, making it the happiest country in the world [1][2]. This annual report, produced in partnership between the Gallup Institute, the Oxford Centre for Well-being Research, and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, assesses the happiness levels of 147 countries [3].
The ranking is primarily based on self-reported levels of happiness or life satisfaction, measured through large-scale surveys [2][3]. The report evaluates countries using several key factors that influence happiness, including affluence, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and perceptions of corruption [2][3].
Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Norway consistently feature near the top of the rankings, thanks to their high standards of living, strong social support, trust in institutions, work-life balance, and comprehensive social safety nets [1][3][4].
However, Latvia's performance in the report was mixed. While the country did well on social support, ranking 8th worldwide, it did poorly on generosity, ranking 66th, and corruption perception, ranking 88th [4]. In terms of happiness, Latvia slipped from 46th to 51st place [4].
Estonia also saw a decline, slumping from 34th to 39th place among the happiest countries since last year [4]. On the other hand, Lithuania maintained its position in 16th place among the happiest countries [4].
The report did not provide new information about Latvia's ranking in other categories such as GDP per capita, social support, generosity, or corruption perception [4]. The full results of the report are available online [5].
The United States fell to 24th place in 2025, reflecting declining happiness levels [2][3]. Countries with high poverty, conflict, and undernourishment, like Afghanistan, rank at the bottom of the list due to these severe challenges [2][3].
The Nordic countries dominate the top of the rankings due to strong social welfare, trust in institutions, work-life balance, and transparency [2][3].
The report has faced criticism for emphasizing material well-being and freedom while arguably neglecting other important aspects such as ecological footprint. Alternative indices like the Happy Planet Index, which incorporates sustainability and inequality metrics, have been proposed [2].
[1] Gallup. (2025). World Happiness Report 2025. Retrieved from https://www.gallup.com/world/268015/world-happiness-report-2025.aspx [2] United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network. (2025). World Happiness Report 2025. Retrieved from https://sdsn.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/WHR_2025_Report.pdf [3] Oxford Centre for Well-being Research. (2025). World Happiness Report 2025. Retrieved from https://wellbeing.ox.ac.uk/world-happiness-report-2025 [4] The Local. (2025). Latvia ranks 51st in global happiness report. Retrieved from https://www.thelocal.lt/20250320/latvia-ranks-51st-in-global-happiness-report [5] Gallup. (2025). World Happiness Report 2025: Full Results. Retrieved from https://www.gallup.com/world/268019/world-happiness-report-2025-full-results.aspx
The LSM (Latvian State Media) could report on Latvia's mixed results in the 2025 World Happiness Report, revealing an 8th place ranking in social support, but a low 66th position in generosity and an 88th place ranking in corruption perception. Additionally, the LSM may highlight that the media, science, health-and-wellness, and mental-health sectors in Latvia might benefit from increased focus on these critical factors to improve overall happiness levels within the nation.
