Boy, do we have a fun fact for you! Australia’s known for its laid-back lifestyle, cheeky banter and silly slang. With one of the world’s best work-life balances, we know how to kick back and not take life too seriously. And to prove it, a global perception survey of 17,000 people named Australia as one of the world’s ten ‘most fun’ countries – edging out our mates in New Zealand. Take that!
This ranking comes from the US News & World Report’s annual Best Countries report, which polled 17,000 respondents from 36 nations worldwide. Since ‘fun’ means something different to everyone, they surveyed a diverse pool of people, including business leaders, informed elites and the general public – asking each to rate how strongly they associate each country with fun.
Australia scored an impressive 85.1 out of 100, landing as the seventh-most fun country in the world. It was one of only two countries in Oceania to crack the top ten, and yep, we beat New Zealand, which came in ninth. Looking for fun things to do Down Under? We recommend having a laugh with local legends at your neighbourhood pub, catching a live AFL, NRL or cricket match, surfing at one of our legendary beaches, sipping your way through our world-class wineries, or simply chilling out at a backyard barbecue. Want more fun? Here’s your ultimate guide to the best things to do in Australia.
If you’re looking to have maximum fun while travelling, Spain is the place to be – officially crowned the most fun country on the planet. Its fun factor gets a juicy boost from La Tomatina Festival, the world’s largest food fight, where more than 20,000 people chuck tomatoes at each other in the streets. Sure, getting splattered in tomato juice isn’t everyone’s idea of fun, but Spain’s also got beautiful beaches, flamenco fiestas, tasty tapas crawls and a buzzing late-night party scene. A little bit of fun for everyone!
Next up was Brazil – home to the world’s biggest celebration of Carnival – followed by Thailand, Italy and Mexico. You can check out more of the world’s most fun countries below.
The 10 most fun countries in the world
- Spain
- Brazil
- Thailand
- Italy
- Mexico
- Greece
- Australia
- Portugal
- New Zealand
- France