Irish people are among the world's happiest — let's work to keep it that way
This is the most satisfied we have been in the 50 years since this was first measured. Picture: Chani Anderson
If one of the reasons we elect a government is to bring us greater happiness and wellbeing, then recent Irish governments deserve praise for a job well done. Ireland has today been named the 15th-happiest country in the world in the 2025 World Happiness Report, rising two places since last year.
The report follows on from research by the European Commission in which 98% of us said we were fairly or very satisfied with our lives. This is the most satisfied we have been in the 50 years since this was first measured.
Contrary to perceived wisdom, we are doing well as a country. But the World Happiness Report, published by the University of Oxford and the United Nations with polling company Gallup, reveals what more we need to do to join the world’s most happy nations.
Finland is named the world’s happiest nation for the eighth year in a row. Britain ranks 23rd, and the United States drops to 24th — its lowest-ever position. Afghanistan retains the dubious distinction of being the world’s least happy place.
The authors identify six factors that explain what makes one country happier than another: a strong economy, long life expectancy, low levels of corruption, a high level of generosity, freedom to make life choices, and having someone to count on. Ireland does well on all of these.
Our economy is one of the strongest in the world for a country of our size. With a life expectancy averaging 83 years, we live only two years less than the world’s longest livers: the Japanese. Transparency International considers Ireland to be the 10th least corrupt nation. And the Human Freedom Index ranks us as the fourth freest people in the world.
The report also highlights the importance of caring and sharing. Acting benevolently towards others — for example by donating money, volunteering time, or helping strangers — has been demonstrated not only to increase the happiness of the person receiving but also to increase the happiness of the giver.
The Irish are a relatively generous lot: 65% of us donated to charity in the past month — the seventh-highest figure in the world. However, we cannot take for granted that this will continue to be the case. Benevolent behaviour in high-income countries, including Ireland, has declined over the past two decades, posing a risk to our future happiness.
A new finding in the report is that people who eat frequently with others are a lot happier than those who don’t. Sharing meals turns out to have as great a bearing on your well-being as your income or your employment status.
The average Irish person shares nine meals a week – a fairly typical number for Europeans. However, the researchers demonstrated that growth in the number of people eating alone in the United States was one of the reasons for declining happiness there.
Irish policymakers and charities should consider what they can do to encourage meal sharing at all stages of life, from school through to older adults who live alone. It is a cost-effective way to improve the lives of many.
There is good reason for our politicians to be invested in our happiness. Life satisfaction has been found to be more closely linked to voting behaviour than economic growth. Unhappy people have less faith in political parties, are more likely to reject incumbents, and to agree with authoritarian ideas.
The report’s authors conclude that the growth of populism can be largely accounted for by growing unhappiness. Whether voters turn to populists on the left or the right depends on trust: those who trust others veer to the left, those who do not veer to the right.
Thankfully, Ireland has comparatively high levels of trust in others. Within the European Union, only the Finns, Poles, and Romanians are more trusting. And there is no evidence of a decline here, explaining why the far right has gained little at the ballot box.
High levels of trust and a strong sense of community are an underpinning of Ireland’s success. The narrative of fairness pervades our political discourse and is a touchstone for our politicians and public servants.
This has ensured that as our country prospered so the gains have been widely shared: income inequality here is comparatively low and in decline.
Again, we cannot assume this will continue forever. We must invest in growing kindness, co-operation, and trust. Policies that support community development and community-led initiatives, including local businesses, will improve the well-being of many.
Increased housing provision has an important role to play. Improved mental health services are critical. And let’s deploy our fiscal windfall to reduce misery through greater support for those that need it the most – as Finland does.
It is time for our political leaders to gauge progress not by increases in GDP but rather by the happiness of our citizens. Our government should set annual targets for national well-being and publish an action plan for improvement.
That would be fulfilling the very reason that we elect them – and increasing their prospects of re-election too.
- Dr Mark Henry of Technological University Dublin is the author of
