Happiness is something different for everyone, which makes it hard to quantify. In such a big world, it’s easy to get lost in the things that happen only in your country. Even with poverty, war and the rising costs of living, some residents of certain countries managed to become happier during the period from 2010-2023.
To determine which countries became happier, we studied the World Happiness Report for 2024. The study looks at the following factors for a country’s overall happiness: GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom to make life choices, generosity, corruption perception, positive affect, negative affect and institutional trust.
Overall, the world increased in happiness based on this methodology by 0.1%, up from 5.4 to 5.5. The countries listed below helped to move that number up, and you may be surprised by some of them.
Why Are We Covering This?
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As you fulfill your dreams and travel the world, you cut into your wealth, and we want to make sure it’s worth it. Traveling to countries where people are generally happier can be a more positive experience, and even keep you safe. We consider it an important responsibility to educate our readers on global matters that may affect them abroad or at home.
20. Kyrgyzstan
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- Percentage increase from 2010-2023: +1.0
Kyrgyzstan rose on the happiness chart from 4.7 to 5.7. The country has a population of 6.9 million, $14 billion current GDP and $2023.9 GDP per capita. The life expectancy is 71.9. The country is made up of mostly mountains and is one of the least crowded countries in the world.
19. Uzbekistan
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- Percentage increase from 2010-2023: +1.0
Uzbekistan rose on the scale from 5.2 to 6.2, despite being home to a shrinking lake and double landlocked. The country is home to 36.8 million people and the population skews very young. Uzbekistan is slightly larger than the state of California and has long, hot summers and mild winters.
18. Armenia
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- Percentage increase from 2010-2023: +1.0
Armenia rose from 4.5 to 5.5 on the happiness scale. The country has 2.78 million people and the life expectancy is just over 72 years. The country is full of beautiful landscapes, history and culture, and residents speak both Armenian and Russian.
17. North Macedonia
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- Percentage increase from 2010-2023: +1.0
North Macedonia rose from 4.4 to 5.4 on the happiness scale over 13 years. Located in Southeast Europe, it borders Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, Kosovo and Serbia. The country gained independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 and is home to just over two million residents.
16. Bosnia & Herzegovina
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- Percentage increase from 2010-2023: +1.0
Bosnia & Herzegovina rose from 4.9 to 5.9 on the happiness scale. The country is home to 3.2 million people and has a life expectancy of 75. It’s responsible for over $24 billion of the GDP and $7,568 GDP per capita, with a GDP annual growth of 4.1%. It’s home to the Dinaric Alps and full of rivers, lakes and medieval villages.
15. Hungary
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- Percentage increase from 2010-2023: +1.1
On the happiness scale, Hungary went from 4.9 to 6.0 over 13 years. Landlocked between Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Romania, Austria, Slovakia and Ukraine, it’s a member of the European Union and home to almost 10 million people. Life expectancy is almost 75 years and Hungary is responsible for $178.12 of the GDP.
14. Estonia
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- Percentage increase from 2010-2023: +1.1
Estonia increased the happiness score from 5.3 to 6.4. The country is home to 1.3 million people and is the 24th smallest country in Europe. It’s located between Russia and Latvia and the popular growth is just over one percent. Formerly part of the Soviet Union, the official language is Estonian, while some residents still speak Russian.
13. Mongolia
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- Percentage increase from 2010-2023: +1.1
Growing from 4.6 to 5.7 on the happiness scale, Mongolia is home to almost four million people. Designated as a lower-middle-income country, Mongolia is just more than two times the size of Texas. The country is home to a wide range of mammals, fish and birds, including the Snow Leopard, Siberian Ibex and Gobi Bear.
12. Kosovo
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- Percentage increase from 2010-2023: +1.1
Growing from 5.5 to 6.6 on the happiness scale, Kosovo is landlocked in the center of the Balkans, bordered by Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia. It’s home to 1.8 million people and has partial diplomatic recognition. It’s full of an assortment of plant species, many of which are only found in Kosovo.
11. Nicaragua
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- Percentage increase from 2010-2023: +1.2
Set between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, Nicaragua grew on the happiness scale from 5.1 to 6.3. One of the larges Central American republics, it’s home to just under seven million people. The official language is Spanish and the country is known for it’s agricultural economy.
10. Togo
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- Percentage increase from 2010-2023: +1.2
Located in West Africa on the Gulf of Guinea, Togo’s happiness rate grew from 3.0 to 4.2. More than 8.6 million people live in Togo and the official language is French. Togo is known for its various fauna and flora, monkeys, lizards and snakes as well as Voodoo.
9. Philippines
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- Percentage increase from 2010-2023: +1.2
Increasing in happiness level from 4.8 to 6.0, the Philippines is located in Southeast Asia and is designated as an archipelagic country. The capital is Manila and the country is a collection of more than 7,000 islands with more than 114 million people.
8. Lithuania
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- Percentage increase from 2010-2023: +1.2
Lithuania increased from a score of 5.6 to 6.8 on the happiness scale. A country in Europe’s Baltic region, with more than 2.8 million residents. Lithuanian is one of the oldest languages in existence and the country is rich in cultural preservation.
7. Georgia
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- Percentage increase from 2010-2023: +1.3
Growing 1.3 points from 3.9 to 5.2 Georgia comes in 7th on the list of countries actually getting happier. Located at the intersection of Asia and Europe, it’s a former member of the Soviet Republic. There are more than 3.6 million people living there and it’s home to the deepest cave in the world. Despite a history of war and tension, much of the country’s cultural and architectural systems have been maintained.
6. China
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- Percentage increase from 2010-2023: +1.3
China’s residents increased the happiness index from 4.7 to 6.0. This is the biggest country on our list with more than 1.4 billion people. The world’s second most populous country, it covers 3.7 million square miles. Home to the Himalayan mountains, the official languages are Chinese and Mandarin.
5. Romania
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- Percentage increase from 2010-2023: +1.3
A country in southeastern Europe, Romania increased on the happiness scale from 5.2 to 6.5. Romania is home to many fortified castles and churches and is home to 19 million people. Europe’s first electrified castle was in Romania and the country is also home to Europe’s largest rock sculpture. Residents choose between 320 cities and over 12,000 villages.
4. Congo
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- Percentage increase from 2010-2023: +1.4
Congo increased 1.4 points from 3.8 to 5.2 on the happiness scale over 13 years, despite being one of the poorest countries in the world. Home to 99 million people, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is located in central Africa and is full of natural resources like immense biodiversity, copper, cobalt and hydropower potential.
3. Latvia
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- Percentage increase from 2010-2023: +1.5
Latvians went from 4.7 to 6.2, increasing by 1.5 points on the scale. Located on the Baltic Sea between Estonia and Lithuania, it’s home to dense, sprawling forests and wide beaches. Latvia has more than 1.8 million people and is responsible for $40.93 billion of the GDP.
2. Bulgaria
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- Percentage increase from 2010-2023: +1.6
Up from 3.9 to 5.5, Bulgaria hits at number two on our list of countries becoming happier. A Balkan nation, it’s home to the Danube River and is a cultural melting pot with influences of Persian, Greek, Ottoman and Slavic descent. It’s home to more than 6.4 million people and has a rich heritage of crafts, costumes, music and dance.
1. Serbia
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- Percentage increase from 2010-2023: +1.8
At the top of the list of countries becoming happier, Serbia starts at 4.6 in 2010 and ends at 6.4 in 2023. Serbia is home to around seven million people. It’s just larger than the state of Maine and has eight neighboring countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. The country is overall safe and is known for its rich history and natural beauty. It’s the largest exporter of raspberries, and is famous for its hospitality. The birthplace of Roman emperors, Serbians are proud of their extensive history.
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