World Happiness Report 2025: Singapore ranks second in Asia, dropping four spots down the global list

Hands up if you’re a proud Singaporean – after all, we have much to be pleased about. We are home to one of the world's best airlines and award-winning hotels, and we have even been crowned a top foodie destination on social media. 

Adding to the list of accolades, Singapore has been ranked the second happiest country in Asia and 34th in the world, according to the latest World Happiness Report for 2025. The report, published by the University of Oxford in collaboration with the UN, evaluates factors such as GDP per capita, freedom of choice, healthy life expectancy, social support, generosity, household characteristics, and overall life satisfaction.

Globally, Finland once again claims the top spot as the happiest country in the world, followed by fellow Nordic countries Denmark and Iceland. Only four countries in Asia made it to the top 50. Taiwan takes the lead at 27th place worldwide, with Singapore coming in second and Vietnam (#46 globally) rounding out the top three. Although Singapore remains one of the top countries in Asia, our global ranking has dropped from 30th to 34th place this year, marking a consecutive decline for the past two years. 

The 50 happiest countries in the world in 2025: 

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. Czechia 
21. United Arab Emirates
22. Germany
23. United Kingdom
24. United States
25. Belize
26. Poland
27. Taiwan
28. Uruguay 
29. Kosovo
30. Kuwait
31. Serbia
32. Saudi Arabia
33. France
34. Singapore
35. Romania
36. Brazil
37. El Salvador
38. Spain
39. Estonia
40. Italy
41. Panama
42. Argentina
43. Kazakhstan
44. Guatemala
45. Chile
46. Vietnam
47. Nicaragua 
48. Malta
49. Thailand
50. Slovakia

The 10 happiest countries in Asia in 2025:

1. Taiwan
2. Singapore 
3. Vietnam
4. Thailand
5. Japan
6. Philippines
7. South Korea
8. Malaysia
9. China
10. Mongolia 

You can find the full country rankings here, and read the full World Happiness Report 2025 here.

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