Nigeria ranks 7th among world’s friendliest countries to strangers

Nigeria has been ranked 7th among the world’s friendliest countries to strangers, according to the UN’s 2025 World Happiness Report.

The annual report, produced by the University of Oxford’s Wellbeing Research Centre in partnership with Gallup and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, evaluates 147 countries on self-reported well-being and prosocial behaviours such as donating, volunteering, and helping others.

Despite ranking high for acts of spontaneous kindness, Nigeria placed 105th overall in happiness, reflecting poor life satisfaction and systemic shortcomings.

The report noted a clear gap between informal generosity and institutional trust: a pattern seen across several African countries.

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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, and 126th if found by the police, underscoring the country’s weak confidence in law enforcement and public systems.

According to the report, such dynamics are common in countries with fragile institutions.

“Where institutional structures are weak, helping strangers likely becomes the most direct and effective form of benevolence,” it stated.

Other countries with similar patterns, according to their ranking, include:

Jamaica
Liberia
Trinidad
Kenya
Sierra Leone
Senegal
Nigeria
Venezuela
Ukraine
Zambia
While Nigeria also ranked 45th for charitable donations, the preference appears to lean toward direct, person-to-person support over formal giving.