Nigeria has been ranked the 7th friendliest country to strangers in the world, according to the 2025 World Happiness Report by the United Nations.
The report, compiled in collaboration with Oxford University's Wellbeing Research Centre and Gallup, assessed 147 countries based on self-reported well-being and prosocial behaviors.
Nigeria ranked 7th globally in kindness to strangers. Despite its high ranking in friendliness, Nigeria placed 105th overall in happiness.
The report highlighted a trust gap in Nigeria, with citizens showing more confidence in strangers than in public systems.
The findings suggest that while Nigerians exhibit high levels of kindness and hospitality towards strangers, the country faces challenges related to life satisfaction and institutional trust.
This highlights low public trust in institutions, a pattern seen in many countries with fragile systems.
The report noted, “Where institutional structures are weak, helping strangers likely becomes the most direct and effective form of benevolence.”
Countries with similar patterns include:
Jamaica
Liberia
Trinidad
Kenya
Sierra Leone
Senegal
Venezuela
Ukraine
Zambia
Nigeria also ranked 45th in charitable donations.
