Thailand climbs to 49th in World Happiness Report 2025, says govt

Thailand's ranking has climbed nine places to 49th in the World Happiness Report 2025, deputy government spokesperson Anukool Pruksanusak said on Tuesday.

According to a report by the University of Oxford and its partners, Finland remains the happiest country for the eighth consecutive year.

Thailand improved its position from 58th in 2024, achieving an average score of 6.22. Anukool attributed this rise to the country’s rapid development in Asia.He also highlighted that Thailand ranked among the top three happiest countries in the ASEAN region, following Singapore (34th) and Vietnam (46th). Other ASEAN countries included the Philippines (57th), Malaysia (64th), Indonesia (83rd), Laos (93rd), Cambodia (124th), and Myanmar (126th).

Anukool noted that Thailand's improved ranking is the result of advancements in six key areas: perceptions of corruption (0.04), freedom (0.93), social support (1.55), healthy life expectancy (0.63), generosity (0.22), and GDP per capita (1.43). He emphasised that Thailand’s social support was ranked 8th globally, reflecting strong community bonds, particularly at the household and local levels.

Although Thailand's GDP per capita ranked 81st globally, Anukool expressed confidence that the Thai economy will continue to improve and become more secure.

"The World Happiness Report evaluates factors that influence global happiness, such as economic conditions, social support, and government trust, helping to identify strengths and weaknesses in each country," he said.

Anukool acknowledged that while Thailand has made significant progress, there are still areas for improvement in order to sustainably enhance the quality of life and become a happier country in the future.

(2025/03/25-00:00)