February 18, 2025, 9:22 am | Read time: 5 minutes
Which nation is the friendliest in the world? A new study has now answered this question. A number of people were surveyed to find out their friendliness and openness towards others. At least one result in the list of 25 countries is likely to surprise some people.
Germany is one of the friendliest countries in the world. Germany? Apparently. At least according to a study by the US online remittance service Remitly. They tested residents of various countries for their hospitality, general friendliness, and openness and compiled a list of the top 25 friendliest countries in the world. And on this list, Germany comes in eighth place. In this overview, TRAVELBOOK shows how the ranking was compiled, which is the friendliest nation in the world, and which countries are also among the friendliest worldwide.
Overview
Method and Criticism of the Ranking
The ranking is based on a survey in which 3,000 people from 27 countries answered agreeableness questions from the so-called Big 5 personality test. Remitly explains that the questions aimed to determine how much the participants “care about others, whether they take time for other people, and whether they like to make people feel good.” In total, the participants and the countries could score up to 40 points. The more points, “the friendlier, more generous, more helpful, and more willing to compromise” or simply “more agreeable” they are, according to the test. The text does not specify how many people per country were surveyed in the Remitly study. It only explains that “the average score of people in each country was calculated” in order to “determine an average ‘friendliness score’ for each nation.”
The online referral service explains: “People who score high in this section of the test value getting along with others and have an optimistic view of human nature, meaning they are likely to be warm and friendly to the people they meet.” At times, they could prove to be new friends for expats moving to the country and looking to socialize.
In general, the study is not really representative, given the small number of people and countries. And the approach also appears vague at times; an inner attitude towards foreigners is by no means a guarantee that people will behave in a friendly manner, as there are a few more factors at play here. But perhaps the biggest criticism of the ranking resulting from the study is neither the approach nor the small number of participants and countries; it is their selection. If you look at the list of countries, there are 19 European countries. In addition, there is one African country, three North American ones, one Asian, and one country from Oceania. South and Central America are completely absent. Why this imbalance?
After this review, we no longer want to withhold the ranking of the friendliest countries from (almost) all over the world from you.
The Friendliest Country in the World Is …
… South Africa. According to the study, the hyped vacation destination is home to the friendliest people on the planet. The country received 34.63 points, the highest score of all. According to Remitly, the inhabitants are “known for their warmth and hospitality, making it easy for travelers and visitors to feel comfortable around them.” In general, South Africans are very sociable, greet strangers politely on the street, make lots of jokes, and spread good humor, according to the ranking text.
Two Europeans in 2nd and 3rd place of Friendliest Countries
The second friendliest country, according to this study, is Greece, with 33.71 points. According to Remitly, sociability is also important to the Greeks, and they love to “entertain old and new friends.” An important old value of the country is “philoxenia,” which translates as “hospitality.”
Following close behind the Greeks are the Croatians, who are not far behind. They scored 33.5 points. According to the authors, the inhabitants of Croatia are also known for being “sociable and generous, especially when it comes to their time — they like to chat with friends or strangers to catch up or meet new people.”
Ranking: These Are the 25 Friendliest Countries in the World, According to Remitly
- South Africa (34.63 points)
- Greece (33.71 points)
- Croatia (33.5 points)
- Mexico (33.47 points)
- Sweden (33.3 points)
- Australia (33.13 points)
- Canada (32.84 points)
- Germany (32.66 points)
- Estonia (32.58 points)
- Belgium (32.5 points)
- Spain (32.41 points)
- Czech Republic (32.36 points)
- Italy (32.34 points)
- Japan (32.33 points)
- USA (32.31 points)
- Netherlands (32.27 points)
- Portugal (32.25 points)
- United Kingdom (32.21 points)
- Poland (31.99 points)
- Switzerland (31.89 points)
- Austria (31.83 points)
- France (31.71 points)
- Ireland (31.54 points)
- Hungary (31.43 points)
- Finland (31.38 points)
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What Makes Germany So Friendly?
Germany comes eighth in the ranking, leaving countries such as Italy, Portugal, and the United Kingdom behind. This is despite the fact that, as the authors of the study write, it “does not always have a reputation for being particularly welcoming.” So, what is the reason for the good ranking? Although Germans are not necessarily great at small talk, “the locals are extremely hospitable and friendly towards visitors and new residents.” In view of the current political climate, this insight is hopeful.