Taiwan has emerged as the happiest place in Asia, according to the 2025 World Happiness Report. Climbing to the 27th position globally, Taiwan moved up from 31st place last year, dethroning Singapore as the top Asian country on the list. The democratically self-ruled island has made significant strides in recent years, advancing from 54th place in 2024 to 46th this year. This notable upward movement reflects Taiwan's steady improvement in global happiness rankings, having jumped nearly 40 places over the past five years.
Taiwan's rise in happiness can be attributed to several factors, including frequent meal-sharing among its citizens. According to the report, Taiwanese people share meals frequently, ranking 8th globally with an average of 10.1 shared meals out of 14 each week. They reportedly share 5.5 dinners and 4.7 lunches with others. These shared experiences are believed to enhance social bonds and contribute to the nation's overall happiness.
"Based on Gallup's data, the report found that the impact of meal-sharing on subjective well-being is 'on par with the influence of income and unemployment,' and those who share more meals with others report 'significantly higher' levels of life satisfaction." – The report
Meal-sharing has become a critical indicator of well-being in Taiwan. The report highlights that Taiwan's happiness ranking is powered by data from the Gallup World Poll, which measures self-assessed life evaluations averaged over three years from 2022 to 2024. This data reveals that sharing meals and trusting others are strong predictors of general well-being.
"This year's report pushes us to look beyond traditional determinants like health and wealth. It turns out that sharing meals and trusting others are even stronger predictors of wellbeing than expected," said Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, director of the Wellbeing Research Centre at Oxford University and editor of the 2025 World Happiness Report.
Taiwan's rise in happiness comes amid a backdrop of complex political dynamics. Although Taiwan governs itself democratically, Beijing continues to consider it part of its territory. Despite these tensions, Taiwan's focus on fostering community ties through shared meals stands out as a significant contributor to its rising happiness levels.
"In this era of social isolation and political polarization we need to find ways to bring people around the table again — doing so is critical for our individual and collective wellbeing." – Jan-Emmanuel De Neve
Globally, meal-sharing appears to be a growing trend with positive impacts on happiness. The report noted that dining alone has been increasing in East Asian countries like Japan and the Republic of Korea. Taiwan's emphasis on communal dining offers valuable insights into how social practices can enhance quality of life.