For the seventh time in a row Finland remains the happiest country in the world, according to the UN’s annual World Happiness Report released on Wednesday, with Afghanistan remaining at the bottom of the list.

The Nordic countries continue to dominate the top ranking, with Denmark, Iceland and Sweden trailing far behind Finland. 143 countries participated in the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network survey.

According to the research, Greece ranks 64th this year, falling six places from 2023 when it was ranked 58th on the list.

The United States and Germany, after more than a decade, have dropped out of the top 20 happiest countries, securing 23rd and 24th place respectively. Instead, Costa Rica and Kuwait have entered the top 20, claiming 12th and 13th place.

Significant changes in happiness levels have been seen from 2006-2010, with Afghanistan, Lebanon and Jordan showing significant declines, while Eastern European countries such as Serbia, Bulgaria and Latvia have seen notable increases.

The happiness ranking is determined by citizens’ personal ratings of how satisfied they are with their lives, along with factors such as GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity and corruption.

The report highlights a shift as none of the world’s most populous countries are now at the top of the list of happiest countries. Only the Netherlands and Australia, both with populations over 15 million, are in the top 10, while Canada and the United Kingdom, with populations over 30 million, are in the top 20.