Nigeria has been ranked 7th in kindness to strangers and 105th in happiness, according to the 2025 World Happiness Report by the United Nations.
The 2025 World Happiness Report, compiled by Oxford University’s Wellbeing Research Centre in partnership with Gallup and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, assessed 147 countries based on self-reported well-being and prosocial behaviours such as helping others, volunteering, and donating.
While Nigeria ranked 7th in kindness to strangers, its overall happiness ranking fell to 105th place, highlighting challenges such as poor life satisfaction and limited trust in public institutions.
The report pointed to a striking “trust gap” in Nigeria, where citizens appear to place more confidence in strangers than in formal systems. When asked who would likely return a lost wallet, Nigerians ranked 33rd if found by a stranger, 71st if found by a neighbour, and 126th if found by the Police.
“Where institutional structures are weak, helping strangers likely becomes the most direct and effective form of benevolence,” the report states.
Nigeria’s experience mirrors trends seen in other nations with fragile systems, including Jamaica, Liberia, Trinidad, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Venezuela, Ukraine, and Zambia.
Additionally, Nigeria placed 45th globally for charitable donations, reinforcing its strong culture of individual generosity even amid institutional shortcomings.
The 2025 World Happiness Report, compiled by Oxford University’s Wellbeing Research Centre in partnership with Gallup and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, assessed 147 countries based on self-reported well-being and prosocial behaviours such as helping others, volunteering, and donating.
While Nigeria ranked 7th in kindness to strangers, its overall happiness ranking fell to 105th place, highlighting challenges such as poor life satisfaction and limited trust in public institutions.
The report pointed to a striking “trust gap” in Nigeria, where citizens appear to place more confidence in strangers than in formal systems. When asked who would likely return a lost wallet, Nigerians ranked 33rd if found by a stranger, 71st if found by a neighbour, and 126th if found by the Police.
“Where institutional structures are weak, helping strangers likely becomes the most direct and effective form of benevolence,” the report states.
Nigeria’s experience mirrors trends seen in other nations with fragile systems, including Jamaica, Liberia, Trinidad, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Venezuela, Ukraine, and Zambia.
Additionally, Nigeria placed 45th globally for charitable donations, reinforcing its strong culture of individual generosity even amid institutional shortcomings.
