Nigeria Ranked As World’s 7th Friendliest Country To Strangers
Nigeria has been ranked the seventh friendliest country to strangers in the world, according to the 2025 edition of the World Happiness Report released by the United Nations.
The report, which was compiled by the Wellbeing Research Centre at Oxford University in partnership with Gallup and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, assessed 147 countries based on key indicators such as self-reported well-being and prosocial behaviours including helping strangers, volunteering, and charitable donations.
Despite grappling with economic hardship, poor life satisfaction, and weak institutional trust, Nigeria stood out for its strong culture of kindness towards strangers.
The country’s overall happiness ranking, however, slipped to 105th on the global scale, revealing the complex interplay between social goodwill and systemic challenges.
One striking finding in the report was the level of public trust in strangers compared to formal institutions. When asked about the likelihood of a lost wallet being returned, Nigeria ranked 33rd if found by a stranger, 71st if found by a neighbour, but dropped significantly to 126th when it involved the police.
This trust gap, the report noted, is common in countries with fragile systems. “Where institutional structures are weak, helping strangers likely becomes the most direct and effective form of benevolence,” it stated.
In addition to its high friendliness score, Nigeria ranked 45th globally in charitable donations, reinforcing its reputation for grassroots generosity. Other countries with similar trends in kindness despite institutional weaknesses include Jamaica, Liberia, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Senegal, and Ukraine.
The World Happiness Report, released annually since 2012, serves as a global benchmark for measuring well-being and social cohesion across nations.
Sodiq Lawal is a passionate and dedicated journalist with a knack for uncovering captivating stories in the bustling metropolis of Osun State and Nigeria at large. He has a versatile reporting style, covering a wide range of topics, from politics , campus, and social issues to arts and culture, seeking impact in all facets of the society.
