Which Latin American countries are the happiest in times of COVID-19?

The coronavirus did little to alter the ranking of the world’s happiest countries, a UN-sponsored annual report said on Friday.

Researchers for the World Happiness Report used data from Gallup asking people in 149 countries to rate their own happiness, also taking into account measures such as GDP, social support, personal freedom, and the levels of corruption of each nation.

Costa Rica ranks first as Latin America’s happiest country during the pandemic year of 2020, it ranks 16th place worldwide. Uruguay ranks 31st worldwide, followed by other Latin American Countries: Brazil (35th), Mexico (36th), Panama (41st), and Chile (43rd). Argentina is in 57th place worldwide.

Happiest countries worldwide

Once again, the first places worldwide were dominated by European countries: Finland ranked as the happiest place on earth for the fourth year in a row. Denmark ranked second and Switzerland third. They are followed by Iceland and the Netherlands. New Zealand, which fell one place to ninth, was again the only non-European nation in the top ten.

Other climbers were Germany, which rose from 17th to 13th, and France, which rose to 21st. The UK, meanwhile, fell from 13th to 17th, while the United States dropped one place to 19th.

The African nations Lesotho, Botswana, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe were at the bottom of the table, but ahead of Afghanistan, which was ranked the most unhappy country in the world this year.

The effect of COVID-19 on happiness

The authors compared this year’s data with averages from previous years to measure the impact of the pandemic and found “a significantly higher frequency of negative emotions” in just over a third of the countries.

But positive emotions rose in 22 countries, and “surprisingly there was, on average, no decline in well-being when measured by people’s own assessment of lives,” said John Helliwell, one of the report’s authors.

“One possible explanation is that people see COVID-19 as a common external threat that affects everyone and that this has generated a greater sense of solidarity and camaraderie,” he said.

Meanwhile, author Jeffrey Sachs warned that “we urgently need to learn from COVID-19,” adding: “We must aim for well-being rather than mere wealth.”

Finland, which has reported some of the lowest incidences of the coronavirus in Europe throughout the health crisis, “ranked very high in mutual trust measures that have helped protect lives and livelihoods during the pandemic.” the authors said.

Despite long winters and a reputation for being unrepresentative and lonely, Finland has a high standard of living, well-functioning public services, many forests and lakes, and has very positive rates of solidarity and fighting against poverty and inequality.

Photo by @angelshellstribs

The coronavirus did little to alter the ranking of the world's happiest countries, a UN-sponsored annual report said on Friday.

Follow Us On Google News | Get Our Newsletter



Trending News on PVDN

  • tropical-storm-flossie-hurricane-mexico-pacific-coastTropical Storm Flossie to Strengthen into Hurricane as It Tracks Along Mexico’s Pacific Coast Tropical Storm Flossie is expected to become a Category 2 hurricane by July 2 as it moves parallel to Mexico’s Pacific coast, bringing dangerous rainfall, wind, and surf. Tropical Storm Flossie is on the verge of forming from Tropical Depression Six-E and is forecast to strengthen rapidly into a hurricane as it parallels Mexico’s southwestern…
  • hurricane-flossie-strengthens-july-1-2025Hurricane Flossie will bring tropical storm conditions to parts of Guerrero, Michoacán, Colima, and Jalisco Hurricane Flossie intensifies off Mexico's Pacific coast with winds near 90 mph. Heavy rain, flooding, and tropical storm conditions expected in parts of Guerrero, Michoacán, Colima, and Jalisco. Hurricane Flossie continued to intensify early Tuesday morning as it moved west-northwestward off the coast of southwestern Mexico, prompting tropical storm warnings and watches across multiple states.…
  • puerto-vallarta-rainfall-hurricane-flossie-july-2025Puerto Vallarta braces for torrential rains as Hurricane Flossie gains strength Puerto Vallarta faces a high risk of flooding as Hurricane Flossie intensifies in the Pacific. Torrential rains and overwhelmed drainage systems pose major challenges for the city. Puerto Vallarta, a city wedged between the Sierra Madre mountains and the Pacific Ocean, is no stranger to dramatic weather shifts—but this summer, the skies are testing the…
  • tropical-storm-flossie-mexico-coast-rain-surf-alertCabo Corrientes under tropical storm watch as Flossie expected to Bring Heavy Rain and Dangerous Surf to Southwestern Mexico Tropical Storm Flossie is forecast to strengthen and may impact Mexico's southwest coast from Zihuatanejo to Cabo Corrientes with heavy rain, flooding, and hazardous surf early this week. Tropical Storm Flossie is expected to deliver heavy rains, gusty winds, and dangerous surf conditions to Mexico’s southwestern coast in the coming days, prompting authorities to issue…
  • tropical-storm-flossie-strengthens-mexico-june-2025Tropical Storm Flossie Strengthens Off Mexico’s Pacific Coast, Could Become Hurricane by Tuesday Tropical Storm Flossie gains strength off southwestern Mexico, with hurricane status possible by Tuesday. Storm warnings issued from Punta San Telmo to Playa Perula. Tropical Storm Flossie continues to gain strength off Mexico’s Pacific coastline, prompting tropical storm warnings and watches across several southwestern states. According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Flossie is expected…
  • raw-sewage-playa-los-muertos-puerto-vallartaMore Raw Sewage Dumping at Playa Los Muertos Appear to Come From Local Hotel Business owners in Puerto Vallarta are demanding action after raw sewage was discovered leaking onto Playa Los Muertos, raising public health and tourism concerns. A raw sewage leak at Playa Los Muertos in Puerto Vallarta has sparked outrage among local tourist service providers and business owners, who say the contamination is driving away visitors and…
  • cancun-beach-cleanup-sargassumMassive Beach Cleanup to Combat Sargassum in Cancun After a week of the Cancun’s tourism department denying sargassum existed and insisting media photos were fakes, over 600 public servants and volunteers joined the first simultaneous beach cleanup. In a bold step toward environmental preservation and tourism sustainability, Cancun's Municipal President Ana Paty Peralta led the city’s first simultaneous beach cleanup effort this week.…
  • oregon-murder-fugitive-extradited-puerto-vallartaFugitive Wanted for 2008 Oregon Homicide Captured in Puerto Vallarta and Extradited to U.S. Jesús Rodríguez Borrayo, a fugitive for 17 years, was extradited from Mexico to Oregon for his role in a 2008 drive-by shooting that left one dead. He was located in Puerto Vallarta. A man wanted for murder and other violent crimes in the United States for nearly two decades has been extradited after being found…
  • cancun-2025-sargassum-beaches-and-activitiesSargassum won’t ruin your Cancun vacation, there are plenty of clean beaches and tourist activities As the 2025 sargassum season continues through September, visitors to Cancun can still enjoy clear beaches like Playa Delfines and Playa Caracol. As the 2025 sargassum season intensifies across Quintana Roo, tourists are finding it more difficult to enjoy the region’s iconic white-sand beaches without encountering the unsightly brown seaweed. While the influx of sargassum…
  • tropical-wave-7-floods-bacalar-chetumal-emergency-responseTropical Wave Floods Bacalar and Chetumal as Navy and Army Activate Emergency Plans Torrential rains from Tropical Wave 7 flood Bacalar and Chetumal, prompting emergency response from the Navy and Army. Several towns remain isolated in southern Quintana Roo. Torrential rains caused by Tropical Wave Number 7 have flooded multiple communities in southern Quintana Roo, prompting a joint emergency response from Mexico’s Navy and Army. Authorities activated their…
Scroll to Top