Table of Contents
Top sunniest countries in the world
Ranking of the most prosperous sunniest countries
Ranking of the most developed sunniest countries
Ranking of the countries that offer the best life quality
Ranking of the sunniest countries with the freest economies
Ranking of the happiest sunniest countries
Ranking of the most environmentally-friendly sunniest countries
What Are the Top Sunniest Countries in the World?
Below are a few different popular country rankings.
*Note: I consider any overseas territories and regions that fit other requirements (sunshine, temperature, GDP per capita and stability) as a part of the main country.
The United Kingdom includes: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, and Turks and Caicos Islands.
France includes: French Guiana, French Polynesia, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, Réunion, Saint Barthélemy, and Saint Martin.
Netherlands include: Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten.
What Are the Most Prosperous Sunniest Countries?
To create the ranking of the most prosperous sunniest countries, we focus on the top 50 countries in the Legatum Prosperity Index 2019 report. These countries not only offer sunshine, warm temperatures, and stability, but are also ranked highly when it comes to a variety of factors including wealth, economic growth, education, health, personal well-being, and quality of life. Here they are, ordered by their rank in the index.
| Rank | Country | Continent | Legatum Prosperity Index Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netherlands* | Europe | 6 |
| 2 | New Zealand | Oceania | 7 |
| 3 | United Kingdom* | Europe | 11 |
| 4 | Australia | Oceania | 17 |
| 5 | United States | North America | 18 |
| 6 | France* | Europe | 23 |
| 7 | Spain | Europe | 25 |
| 8 | Portugal | Europe | 26 |
| 9 | Italy | Europe | 30 |
| 10 | Israel | Asia (Middle East) | 31 |
| 11 | Cyprus | Asia (Middle East) | 34 |
| 12 | Chile | South America | 37 |
| 13 | Uruguay | South America | 39 |
| 14 | United Arab Emirates | Asia (Middle East) | 40 |
| 15 | Greece | Europe | 42 |
| 16 | Qatar | Asia (Middle East) | 43 |
| 17 | Mauritius | Africa | 44 |
| 18 | Seychelles | Africa | 48 |
What Are the Most Developed Sunniest Countries?
To create the ranking of the most developed sunniest countries, we focus on the top 50 countries that are categorized as very high human development countries according to the Human Development Index 2019. This index takes into account life expectancy, education, and per capita income indicators.
| Rank | Country | Continent | Human Development Index Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | Oceania | 6 |
| 2 | Netherlands* | Europe | 10 |
| 3 | New Zealand | Oceania | 14 |
| 4 | United Kingdom* | Europe | 15 |
| 5 | United States | North America | 15 |
| 6 | Israel | Asia (Middle East) | 22 |
| 7 | Spain | Europe | 25 |
| 8 | France* | Europe | 26 |
| 9 | Italy | Europe | 29 |
| 10 | Cyprus | Asia (Middle East) | 31 |
| 11 | Greece | Europe | 32 |
| 12 | United Arab Emirates | Asia (Middle East) | 35 |
| 13 | Saudi Arabia | Asia (Middle East) | 36 |
| 14 | Portugal | Europe | 40 |
| 15 | Qatar | Asia (Middle East) | 41 |
| 16 | Chile | South America | 42 |
| 17 | Brunei | Asia | 43 |
| 18 | Bahrain | Asia (Middle East) | 45 |
| 19 | Oman | Asia (Middle East) | 47 |
| 20 | Argentina | South America | 48 |
What Countries Offer the Best Life Quality?
To create the ranking of countries that offer the best life quality, we focus on the top 50 countries in the Numbeo Quality of Life Index 2020. This index focuses on purchasing power, safety, healthcare, cost of living, pollution index, and more.
| Rank | Country | Continent | Numbeo Quality of Life Index Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | Oceania | 4 |
| 2 | Netherlands* | Europe | 5 |
| 3 | New Zealand | Oceania | 8 |
| 4 | United States | North America | 14 |
| 5 | Spain | Europe | 15 |
| 6 | Oman | Asia (Middle East) | 17 |
| 7 | Portugal | Europe | 19 |
| 8 | United Kingdom* | Europe | 20 |
| 9 | Qatar | Asia (Middle East) | 21 |
| 10 | United Arab Emirates | Asia (Middle East) | 24 |
| 11 | France* | Europe | 26 |
| 12 | Saudi Arabia | Asia (Middle East) | 30 |
| 13 | Israel | Asia (Middle East) | 32 |
| 14 | Cyprus | Asia (Middle East) | 33 |
| 15 | Italy | Europe | 37 |
| 16 | Greece | Europe | 40 |
| 17 | South Africa | Africa | 42 |
| 18 | Turkey | Asia (Middle East) | 45 |
| 19 | Uruguay | South America | 46 |
| 20 | Ecuador | South America | 47 |
| 21 | Chile | South America | 49 |
| 22 | Mexico | North America | 50 |
What Are the Sunniest Countries With the Freest Economies?
To create the ranking of sunniest countries with the freest economies, we focus on the top 50 countries, classified as “free,” “mostly free,” or “moderately free” in the Index of Economic Freedom 2019. According to the creators of the index, the ideals of economic freedom are strongly associated with healthier societies, cleaner environments, greater per capita wealth, human development, democracy, and the eradication of poverty.
| Rank | Country | Continent | Classification | Index of Economic Freedom Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Zealand | Oceania | Free | 3 |
| 2 | Australia | Oceania | Free | 5 |
| 3 | United Kingdom* | Europe | Mostly Free | 7 |
| 4 | United Arab Emirates | Asia (Middle East) | Mostly Free | 9 |
| 5 | United States | North America | Mostly Free | 12 |
| 6 | Netherlands* | Europe | Mostly Free | 13 |
| 7 | Chile | South America | Mostly Free | 18 |
| 8 | Mauritius | Africa | Mostly Free | 25 |
| 9 | Israel | Asia (Middle East) | Mostly Free | 27 |
| 10 | Qatar | Asia (Middle East) | Mostly Free | 28 |
| 11 | Botswana | Africa | Moderately Free | 36 |
| 12 | Saint Lucia | North America (the Caribbean) | Moderately Free | 38 |
| 13 | Jamaica | North America (the Caribbean) | Moderately Free | 39 |
| 14 | Uruguay | South America | Moderately Free | 40 |
| 15 | Cyprus | Asia (Middle East) | Moderately Free | 44 |
| 16 | Peru | South America | Moderately Free | 45 |
| 17 | Colombia | South America | Moderately Free | 49 |
What Are the Happiest Sunniest Countries?
To create the ranking of the happiest sunniest countries, we focus on the top 50 countries in the World Happiness Report 2019. This index takes into account: real GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and perceptions of corruption.
| Rank | Country | Continent | World Happiness Report Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netherlands* | Europe | 5 |
| 2 | New Zealand | Oceania | 8 |
| 3 | Australia | Oceania | 11 |
| 4 | Israel | Asia (Middle East) | 13 |
| 5 | United Kingdom* | Europe | 15 |
| 6 | United States | North America | 19 |
| 7 | United Arab Emirates | Asia (Middle East) | 21 |
| 8 | Mexico | North America | 23 |
| 9 | France* | Europe | 24 |
| 10 | Chile | South America | 26 |
| 11 | Guatemala | Central America | 27 |
| 12 | Saudi Arabia | Asia (Middle East) | 28 |
| 13 | Qatar | Asia (Middle East) | 29 |
| 14 | Spain | Europe | 30 |
| 15 | Brazil | South America | 32 |
| 16 | Uruguay | South America | 33 |
| 17 | El Salvador | Central America | 35 |
| 18 | Italy | Europe | 36 |
| 19 | Bahrain | Asia (Middle East) | 37 |
| 20 | Trinidad and Tobago | North America (the Caribbean) | 39 |
| 21 | Colombia | South America | 43 |
| 22 | Nicaragua | Central America | 45 |
| 23 | Argentina | South America | 47 |
| 24 | Cyprus | Asia (Middle East) | 49 |
| 25 | Ecuador | South America | 50 |
What Are the Most Environmentally-Friendly Sunniest Countries?
To create the ranking of the most environmentally-friendly sunniest countries, we focus on the top 50 countries in the Environmental Performance Index 2018. This index focuses on environmental health (including air quality and water and sanitation) and ecosystem vitality (including water resources, agricultural sustainability, biodiversity, CO2 emissions, and other factors).
| Rank | Country | Continent | Environmental Performance Index Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France* | Europe | 2 |
| 2 | United Kingdom* | Europe | 6 |
| 3 | Spain | Europe | 12 |
| 4 | Italy | Europe | 16 |
| 5 | New Zealand | Oceania | 17 |
| 6 | Netherlands* | Europe | 18 |
| 7 | Israel | Asia (Middle East) | 19 |
| 8 | Australia | Oceania | 21 |
| 9 | Greece | Europe | 22 |
| 10 | Cyprus | Europe | 24 |
| 11 | Portugal | Europe | 26 |
| 12 | United States | North America | 27 |
| 13 | Qatar | Asia (Middle East) | 32 |
| 14 | Trinidad and Tobago | North America (the Caribbean) | 35 |
| 15 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | North America (the Caribbean) | 36 |
| 16 | Seychelles | Africa | 39 |
| 17 | Colombia | South America | 42 |
| 18 | Dominican Republic | North America (the Caribbean) | 46 |
| 19 | Uruguay | South America | 47 |