What is the happiest country in Europe?

Finland has the highest life satisfaction score of all countries in the European Union, achieving a score of 7.8, data from Eurostat has shown.

The European statistics body published the life satisfaction figures (for 2023) to coincide with World Mental Health Day, which took place on 10 October.

Other countries to rank highly include Belgium, Austria, Romania and Slovenia, which each scored 7.7, while Ireland, the Netherlands and Poland attained a score of 7.5. The full table can be found below.

European average

The average life satisfaction score across the European Union is 7.3, while in the euro area, it is 7.2.

At the other end of the scale, Bulgaria boasts the lowest life satisfaction score of all countries in the European Union, with 5.9, however this is higher than the 2022 score of 5.6.

Other countries at the lower end of the table include Lativa and Greece, which both have a life satisfaction score of 6.9, and Germany, which has a score of 7.0 (up from 6.5 the previous year. You can view the full data set here.

Not only was Finland identified as the happiest country in Europe but the latest World Happiness Report from Gallup, the United Nations, and the University of Oxford found earlier this year that the country is also the happiest country in the world, achieving that title for the seventh year in a row.

Life Satisfaction Scores by European Union Country (2023)