World Happiness Scores by Country (2011–2025)

This dataset tracks self-reported life satisfaction scores across countries from 2011 onward, drawn from Gallup World Poll data compiled by the World Happiness Report and Our World in Data. Respondents rate their lives on the Cantril ladder — a 0–10 scale where 0 is the worst possible life and 10 is the best — yielding 2,270 observations across nations and years. The global median sits at 5.48, but the spread is stark: the happiest nations (scores near 7.86) are overwhelmingly in Northern Europe, while conflict-affected and impoverished nations can fall as low as 1.36 — a difference larger than the entire scale of many other wellbeing measures. Perhaps most striking is that happiness scores are remarkably stable within countries year over year, suggesting life satisfaction reflects deep structural conditions (income, social trust, health) rather than fluctuating news cycles. The dataset is a cornerstone for researchers studying the economics of wellbeing, public policy design, and the limits of GDP as a measure of national progress.

• The global average life satisfaction score has risen modestly from 5.41 (2011) to 5.66 (2025), a 4.5% increase over 14 years
• Eastern Europe saw the largest gains: Serbia (+2.13), Bulgaria (+1.81), and Georgia (+1.63) all surged since 2011
• The Middle East saw notable declines: Lebanon fell from 5.05 to 3.72 and Jordan from 5.71 to 4.48
• The top 10 happiest countries are all in Northern Europe, except Costa Rica (4th) and Israel (8th)
• The gap between the happiest and least happy country widened from 4.5 points in 2011 to 6.3 points in 2025