Belize has come out on top of the Caribbean as the region’s happiest country, according to the World Happiness Report, Caribbean Journal has learned.
The Caribbean country on the coast of Central America was ranked 25th overall in the world, highest of any country in the Caribbean Community.
It’s the first time for the country, which has a population of about 400,000. If you’ve been to Belize, you get it – the destination has a wonderful mix of friendly people, impressive, diverse food and some of the most stunning natural scenery in the region — both in its lush jungles and its coastal shorelines and cays like Ambergris Caye, its most famous hotspot.
The second Caribbean country on the list? Trinidad and Tobago, which was ranked 70th in the world, followed by Jamaica at 73, the Dominican Republic at 76.
You should note that the list only covers 100 countries, and typically excludes some of the region’s smaller countries — along with countries that are either overseas territories or part of larger kingdoms or states.
Either way, it’s a very strong showing for Belize, which came just ahead of Poland and right behind the United States.
Interestingly, Belize came in first globally in the freedom index, which asks respondents whether they are “satisfied or dissatisfied with your freedom to choose what you do with your life.”
So how did Belize come out on other factors? It was 57th on the “social support” question and 96th on generosity, among other fields.
The report gets its data from large-scale surveys that ask respondents to grade their quality of life on a scale of 0 to 10. In all, the survey reaches about 1,000 people in each country.
This year’s ranking comes from an amalgamation of data from the previous three years, according to the World Happiness Report. You can find the full World Happiness Index 2025 report here.
