The World’s Friendliest Nations, According To Scientific Study

Whether you’re visiting a destination for the first time or moving to a new country to start an exciting new chapter of your life, the friendliness of the people you meet can make such a difference to your experience and leave a lasting impression on your time there.

If you’re moving to a new country for a new job or to study, finding like-minded, open, and welcoming people to make friends with is a great way to help you feel more settled within the local community, and less lonely—should you be missing home.

With this in mind, we wanted to find out which nations are considered to be the ‘friendliest’ and most welcoming, so we asked over 3,000 participants from around the globe to answer a series of questions from the ‘agreeableness’ section of the Big 5 Personality Test.

Key findings

South Africa tops our list of the friendliest nations, scoring an impressive 34.63 out of 40 on the ‘agreeableness’ trait of the Big 5 Personality Test.
Greeks were found to be the second-friendliest people in the world, scoring 33.71 on the test.
The UK ranked as the 18th friendliest nation in our study but is perceived as the second friendliest by residents of other nations.

What is the Big 5 Personality Test?

The Big 5 personality test is based on the scientific ‘Big Five’ model of the five key personality traits: openness, conscientiousness, agreeableness, extraversion, and neuroticism.[1] The questions in our study are based purely on the ‘agreeableness’ aspect of the test, as it’s deemed the most effective way to gauge social harmony.

Respondents were asked questions to ascertain how much concern they feel for others, whether they take the time out for other people and whether they like to make people feel at ease. Each question was presented as a statement with respondents asked to say whether they disagree, slightly disagree, were neutral, slightly agree or agree with the statement in question.

The higher their scores, the more they are deemed to be friendly, generous, helpful, and willing to compromise their interests with others. People who score highly in this section of the test value getting along with others and have an optimistic view of human nature, meaning they’re likely to be warm and friendly to those they meet. Potentially a friend in waiting for those moving to a new country and looking to strike up a social group for themselves.

The world’s friendliest nations

Based on this and surveying thousands of people around the world we found the following countries were the friendliest.

South Africa

Topping our list of the world’s friendliest nations is South Africa which scored the highest on the Big 5 Personality Test's ‘agreeableness’ trait with an impressive 34.63 out of 40. Situated on the southernmost point of Africa between two oceans, South Africa is a beautiful and diverse country and provides plenty of compelling reasons to move there. One of the major advantages of living in the country is the affordable cost of living where the South African rand stretches far, with housing and everyday expenses allowing for a higher standard of living. It also has an incredible array of wildlife to see, and a warm climate helping residents to enjoy and explore the long stretches of beautiful coastline.

Residents are known for being warm and welcoming, making it easy for travellers and visitors alike to feel at ease around them. It’s not uncommon to be greeted by polite strangers while walking down the street, and South Africans are generally happy to socialise, by engaging in conversations and showing off their good humour, making plenty of jokes An added plus point is that there are eleven official languages spoken in South Africa (English, Afrikaans and nine ethnic languages), meaning that there are plentiful ways to communicate with the locals and make new friends.

Greece

The Greeks rank just behind in second place, scoring 33.71. Often seen as a curious nation, they’ll be more than happy to strike up a conversation with strangers as they hope to build new friendships and relationships. Socialising is a big deal for Greeks, and they love to host friends, both old and new, especially at Greek New Year.

Perhaps a large part of this stems from the longstanding Greek value of ‘philoxenia’. Philoxenia literally translates as ‘hospitality’ and means ‘friend of a stranger’ in Ancient Greek. Its ancient origins date back to the Greek god Zeus, who was seen as the protector of strangers and travellers, yet it’s still alive and well in modern Greece, where a deeply embedded generosity of spirit prevails. It’s not uncommon for Greeks to invite new friends into their home for a spitiko (home-cooked) meal or even for locals to offer visitors a tour of their town, enlivening their knowledge with takes of history and mythology.

Croatia

Croatia follows closely behind in third, scoring 33.5 out of 40 in our global study. Tourism is so important to the local economy that many visitors find Croats to be polite and welcoming, wanting to leave a lasting positive impression on those they interact with. They are known for being sociable and generous, especially with their time—happy to engage with friends or strangers in long conversations, either catching up or getting to know new people.

Croatia has a vibrant cafe culture which is an excellent way to take the edge off any feelings of loneliness and make new friends. If you’ve recently moved here, then you’ll find the locals only too happy to recommend the best places to visit and those to avoid as well.

Mexico

In fourth place are those from Mexico, known for having a strong sense of community and being a happy nation which comes across in how they interact with strangers. Large family groups spanning different generations traditionally eat together on the weekend and this high level of social bonding also plays out in the way Mexicans treat tourists and immigrants.

They’re always happy to share their culture with those visiting their country, as they’re proud of their heritage and traditions, so visitors will find they are welcome to join in with many celebrations.

In fact, if you’re in Mexico in early November, you’ll be actively encouraged to join in with the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos). It’s one of the most important cultural celebrations in Mexican culture and you’ll find tours aplenty on offer so you can both participate and fully understand the cultural significance of this incredible annual event.

The reputation of Mexicans as a friendly nation is confirmed by their score of 33.47 out of 40.

Sweden

Rounding off the top five are those from Sweden, who follow closely behind with 33.30 for their agreeability in our study. While they might have the reputation of being slightly reserved at first, Swedish people are incredibly welcoming and value honesty and equality. It may take some time as Swedes respect privacy and personal space but, once you get to know them, they are incredibly fun and friendly, making them the perfect candidates for long-term, strong friendships.

There’s a proverb in Swedish, ‘Finns det hjärterum så finns det stjärterum’, which translates as ‘if there is room for the heart, there is room for the tail’. Its meaning is, where there’s friendship, there’s always space for one more, which neatly encapsulates how open the Swedes are to forging new friendships.

Australia

Australia ranked in sixth spot, with an average agreeableness score of 33.13. Australian residents have a reputation for being incredibly friendly and laid-back with neighbours and strangers alike, with ‘mate’ being one of their most common greetings.

There are also historical reasons for why Aussies have a high ‘mateship’. Senior lecturer in anthropology from Victoria’s Deakin University, Dr Tanya King, told the BBC in an interview that “people come over here to get a fresh start and to get away from an intensely stratified class system in the UK and other parts of the world”.[2] Dr. King goes on to say this is just one reason for such a friendly culture, a finding that is backed up by our data with Aussies scoring highly globally on traits of empathy, openness and friendliness.

Canada

Canada is regularly one of the most popular places to move to, and the friendliness of the locals is a key reason for this. Our study proves this to be true, with Canadians scoring an average of 32.84 out of 40. One potential explanation for their cheerful, helpful demeanour could be explained by the science of survival. Canada is such a vast, cold country that if people don’t help one another it would be easy to get lost or freeze!

Germany

German residents don’t always have a reputation for being overly warm, however with a score of 32.66 out of 40, Germany ranks as the 8th most friendly nation in the world, beating neighbours Belgium, France and Netherlands.

While small talk perhaps isn’t as commonplace in German culture than in other European countries, locals are extremely welcoming and friendly to visitors and new residents alike.

Estonia

Placing in the 9th spot are Estonians, who scored an average of 32.58 out of 40 on our personality test - making them very friendly. Residents of Estonia are known for their hospitality, and politeness, however they also value personal space and privacy - which can make them seem reserved or introverted to non-locals. Don’t let this put you off approaching a local and striking up a conversation though, as Estonians love to chat!

Belgium

Rounding off the top ten are the residents of Belgium who scored an average agreeableness score of 32.5 out of 40. Home to delicious chocolate, beer, and beautiful architecture, the country is a popular relocation capital for those considering a move to Europe, and their friendly locals will help to make the move even smoother.

Elsewhere on the list, the US, known for its outstanding hospitality, ranks below Italy and Japan in 15th place, and the UK, whose inhabitants are often seen as reserved and overly polite, sneaks inside our top 20 in 18th place.

The top 25 friendliest nations according to the ‘agreeableness’ trait of the Big 5 Personality Test

Scores are based on a maximum of 40 points

Rank	Country	Continent	Average 'friendliness' score
1	South Africa	Africa	34.63
2	Greece	Europe	33.71
3	Croatia	Europe	33.50
4	Mexico	North America	33.47
5	Sweden	Europe	33.30
6	Australia	Oceania	33.13
7	Canada	North America	32.84
8	Germany	Europe	32.66
9	Estonia	Europe	32.58
10	Belgium	Europe	32.50
11	Spain	Europe	32.41
12	Czech Republic	Europe	32.36
13	Italy	Europe	32.34
14	Japan	Asia	32.33
15	United States	North America	32.31
16	Netherlands	Europe	32.27
17	Portugal	Europe	32.25
18	United Kingdom	Europe	32.21
19	Poland	Europe	31.99
20	Switzerland	Europe	31.89
21	Austria	Europe	31.83
22	France	Europe	31.71
23	Ireland	Europe	31.54
24	Hungary	Europe	31.43
25	Finland	Europe	31.38

Most people think their own nation is the friendliest

As part of our research we also asked participants which countries they believed to be most friendly, and interestingly, over half (57%) of people voted for their own nations as the friendliest country. The friendliest nation according to our study - the South Africans - were revealed as being particularly patriotic, with a whopping 97% of South Africans saying that their own country was the friendliest nation in the world.

While some nations might seem friendlier than others, it’s important to remember that when it comes to making friends, no matter where you’ve moved to, immersing yourself in local communities, cultures, and customs will help you to create your new home away from home. Wherever you’re setting up a new life, it may take some time but you’ll be sure to find like-minded people who will make your experience of living abroad even more special.

Methodology: How we discovered the world’s friendliest nations

Using Prolific, we tested 3,000 participants from 27 countries around the world on the ‘agreeableness’ trait of the Big 5 Personality Test, a globally recognised and standardised personality test.[3] We tested participants on a simplified version of the ‘agreeableness’ section of the Big 5 Personality Test, asking them questions that gave them a score of between 1 and 40 as to how ‘agreeable’ they were.

The higher they scored on the test, the more ‘agreeable’ they are (as identified by the personality test) and, therefore, the more friendly they are. We then calculated the average score of people in each country to calculate an average 'friendliness' score for each nation.

All data is correct as of April 2024.

References

[1] Psychology Today, ‘Five Big Reasons to Embrace the Big Five Personality Traits’ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/people-are-strange/201910/five-big-reasons-embrace-the-big-five-personality-traits

[2] BBC, ‘Why are Australians so laid back?’ https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20170607-why-are-australians-so-laid-back

[3] University of Liverpool, ‘Personality Assessment: The Big Five’ https://prosper.liverpool.ac.uk/postdoc-resources/reflect/the-big-five

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