Happiness is one of those things that’s incredibly hard to measure. Our moods vary daily, even hourly, with no two people experiencing the same highs and lows. Thus, ranking a country on its happiness level is no easy task. That hasn’t stopped anyone from trying, though. Earlier this year, Australia landed 11th in the World Happiness Report and Adelaide cracked the top 30 in the Happy City Index. Now, a fresh study has ranked the happiest places to live for people moving abroad – and we’re chuffed with Australia’s placement.
The 2025 ranking by William Russell combined data from both the World Happiness Index and the Happy City Index with factors like quality of life, GDP per capita and average life expectancy considered. We were pretty pleased to see Australia land second on the overall ranking – making it one of the happiest countries for expats to live, just behind Switzerland.
Despite missing out on first place, Australia managed to climb two spots from fourth in 2024. So, why is Australia such a happy place for expats? Let’s start with our culture. The researchers called out Australia’s strong mix of migrant and Indigenous influences, which fosters a diverse, inclusive community where newcomers can feel right at home. They also praised our ‘work hard, play hard’ mentality, backed by our generous working conditions, where full-time employees get four weeks of paid leave annually.
Australia consistently ranks near the top of the leaderboards for quality of life, life satisfaction, life expectancy and GDP per capita. And while our cost of living is higher than in other countries, we more than make up for it in unforgettable adventures. The researchers said: “With so much to see and do, from surfing on Bondi Beach to exploring the outback, Australia offers everything an intrepid expat could ever ask for.”
So, if you’re hoping to escape any seasonal depression, Australia seems like the place to be – and we’ve rounded up the best cities to move to here.
These are the 5 happiest countries for expats in 2025
- Switzerland
- Australia
- Sweden
- Norway
- Netherlands