Costa Rica has climbed to sixth place in the 2025 World Happiness Report, marking its highest ranking ever and securing its first spot in the global top 10. Released on Thursday by the Oxford University Centre for Wellbeing Research, the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and Gallup, the annual report also named Costa Rica the happiest country in the Americas, with its score rising from 6.955 to 7.274—the best in a decade. Mexico, the only other Latin American country in the top 20, landed at tenth.
The report assessed 147 countries based on citizen satisfaction, GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and corruption levels, using data from 2022–2024. Costa Rica’s jump from 13th to sixth reflects its strong social systems, low corruption, and the cultural ethos of “Pura Vida”—a phrase we all know embodying optimism and simplicity. “Costa Ricans value community and nature, which drives our happiness,” said Ana Morales, a 31-year-old teacher from Heredia, highlighting the nation’s rainforests and biodiversity.
Finland retained its title as the world’s happiest country for the eighth year, followed by Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, and the Netherlands in the top five. All Nordic countries stayed among the 10 happiest, bolstered by robust social protections like universal healthcare. Meanwhile, the United States dropped to 24th—its lowest rank since the report began in 2012—partly due to a 53% rise in solo dining over two decades, with one in four Americans eating alone daily in 2023, a trend tied to declining well-being.
In Latin America, the 10 happiest countries after Costa Rica and Mexico are Canada, the United States, Belize, Uruguay, Brazil, El Salvador, Panama, and Argentina. The global average happiness score was 5.578 points, with top-ranked nations offering more opportunities for well-being through democracy, economic stability, and social bonds.
The report emphasized that “belief in the kindness of others” strongly predicts happiness, surpassing even income’s impact. “Human happiness stems from relationships. Positive social connections and benevolent actions boost well-being,” said Lara B. Aknin, a social psychology professor at Simon Fraser University. In Costa Rica, traditions like family meals and communal casados align with this finding, contrasting with U.S. trends like rising “deaths from despair” (suicide, addiction).
Costa Rica’s rise underscores its appeal as a happiness haven, blending natural beauty, accessible healthcare, and a resilient social fabric, setting it apart even as global happiness dynamics shift. Afghanistan ranked last amid its humanitarian crisis.
