The Dominican Republic is a popular holiday destination not just for Britons, but for tourists around the world seeking a taste of island life. With toasty year-round temperatures and lots of sunshine, plus more than 200 beaches, many of which remain relatively uncrowded, figures show more than 10 million tourists flocked to the nation in 2023.

So it is perhaps no surprise to learn that, according to a recent study, it’s also deemed to be one of the happiest places in the World.

According to Global Mind Project’s fourth annual Mental State of the World report (conducted by Sapien Labs), there were 10 nations with top scores, but it was the Dominican Republic that came out in the number one spot overall.

As part of the research, 419,175 individuals from 71 different countries responded to an anonymous online survey.

The assessment uses data to calculate the individual’s Mental Health Quotient (MHQ), which takes into account 47 aspects of mental health, in six main categories: mood and outlook, social self, drive and motivation, mind-body connection, cognition and adaptability and resilience.

The research also takes a look into people’s lifestyles, including their dynamics with family and friends and any personal traumas. Based on these responses, people were given a score placing them on a spectrum from “thriving” to “distressed”.

According to the data, 38 percent of global respondents were Succeeding or Thriving. And in the Dominican Republic, respondents were found to have the highest MHQ with a whopping average of 91. By comparison, Uzbekistan which scored the lowest average MHQ scored just 49.

The Dominican Republic was not the only nation to score highly though. According to the research: “Within these parameters, Dominican Republic, Sri Lanka and Tanzania top the rankings with MHQ scores of 88 or higher.”

These nations were joined in the top 10 list by Panama, Malaysia, Nigeria, Venezuela, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Uruguay. Each of them scored an average MHQ of 81 or above.

It wasn’t all good news in the research, however, Uzbekistan was followed closely by the UK with the lowest MHQ overall. Furthermore, in the UK 35 percent of respondents were recorded as feeling “distressed” or “struggling”.

Based on the data and research collected as part of the Mental State of the World report, the countries found to be the happiest include: 

1. Dominican Republic

2. Sri Lanka

3. Tanzania 

4. Panama

5. Malaysia

6. Nigeria

7. Venezuela 

8. El Salvador 

9. Costa Rica

10. Uruguay