Life & Living

Nigeria improves in global happiness ranking with 105th position

March 21, 2025 2:19 pm

Young Nigerians on a road show

When it comes to happiness, Nigerians have little to spare.

Beyond the youthful vigour, street banter, and optimism, a new report has found that many Nigerians are struggling to find reasons to smile.

According to the World Happiness Report 2025, Nigeria ranked 105 out of 147 countries surveyed in 2024.

The countries were ranked based on individuals’ assessments of their lives as residents of countries within a two-year span.

Variables like GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and corruption were used for the evaluations, the report said.

The report also assessed benevolence based on charitable donations, volunteering, and acts of kindness toward strangers.

Social isolation, particularly among young people, was named as an indicator of unhappiness. This was not a feature observed in Nigeria.

“Japan stands out starkly, with over 30% of the young adult population reporting social isolation,” the report said.

“In contrast, in countries such as Nigeria, Egypt, and the Philippines, less than 10% of the young adult population report having no close relationships.”

However, the report added that Nigeria’s high-ranking social connections had no significant link with wellbeing.

Nigeria and Kenya were ranked in the top ten for helping strangers, placing seventh and fourth among all countries respectively.

The ratings were slightly higher than citizens’ willingness to donate to charities.

“People generally want to help others and are likely to choose the best means available,” the report noted, citing corruption as a deterrent for donations in the countries.

“Where institutional structures are weak, helping strangers in need probably represents a far more effective channel than donations to charities,” the report said.

“In these countries, charities are fewer and less likely to have the credible and efficient structures that characterise effective benevolence.”

Nigeria was also near the bottom of the ranking for citizens who expect their wallets to be returned by police, coming in at 126th.

Since 2013 through 2021, the country has ranked 82, 78, 103, 95, 91, 85, 115, and 116.

In 2022, the last year the latest data was culled from, it ranked 118 out of 146 nations.

NORDIC COUNTRIES RANK HIGHEST — AGAIN

Once again, Nordic countries, with Finland still first among them, ranked among the happiest nations in the world.

In addition, after dropping out of the top 20 for the first time last year, the United States now ranks 24.

Here are the 20 happiest countries in the world.

1. Finland

2. Denmark

3. Iceland

4. Sweden

5. Netherlands

6. Costa Rica

7. Norway

8. Israel

9. Luxembourg

10. Mexico

11. Australia

12. New Zealand

13. Switzerland

14. Belgium

15. Ireland

16. Lithuania

17. Austria

18. Canada

19. Slovenia

20. Czech Republic

Here are the bottom five.

Afghanistan (No. 147) is once again last on the list. Sierra Leone (No. 146), Lebanon (No. 145), Malawi (No. 144) and Zimbabwe (No. 143) make up the rest of the bottom five for happiness.