When the annual World Happiness Report was released in March 2024, it was no surprise to see Scandinavian countries like Finland, Denmark, Iceland and Sweden continue to top the list. But in a surprising trend, a new set of countries has seen its rankings quietly, but steadily, march up the ranks.
Over the past three years, Central and Eastern European countries have overtaken some of their Western European neighbours in overall happiness, according to the survey. For the first time, the Czech Republic and Lithuania have cracked the top 20 this year, placing 18th and 19th respectively, with Slovenia closely chasing behind at number 21. (For comparison, the UK is ranked 20th, Germany is 24th, Spain is 36th and Italy is 41st)
What’s especially interesting is that, in many of these countries, the bump is directly attributable to the growing happiness of younger residents. In fact, Lithuania ranks at number one in the report’s Happiness of the Young report (as measured by respondents younger than 30), with Serbia at 3, Romania at 8, the Czech Republic at 10 and Slovenia at 15.
Residents and frequent travellers to the region aren’t surprised. “There are more decent jobs at home, so 1716184352 young people aren’t moving to somewhere else in Europe to work,” said Tim Leffel, author of The World’s Cheapest Destinations. “The first time I went to Romania and Bulgaria a decade ago, some villages were full of only old people. Now you see a lot more mix in the ages. When more young people stick around, it makes everyone feel more hopeful about the future.”
With GDP per capita sharply rising since the early 2000s, many Central and Eastern Europe residents now feel like they have an equal shot at happiness – an important overall indicator of wellbeing. In fact, the report found inequality of wellbeing has an even bigger effect on overall happiness than inequality of income.
Beyond economic growth, these countries are also investing in infrastructure, fostering vibrant cultural scenes and capitalising on their stunning natural beauty – from the sea-formed sand dunes of the Curonian Spit straddling Lithuania and Russia to the biodiverse Carpathian Mountains in Romania. The result is a palpable sense of optimism and excitement among locals.
To better understand this newfound happiness, we spoke to residents and recent travellers about their experiences in some of these countries, and where visitors can best experience this feeling for themselves.
