A recent report by digital financial services company Remitly has highlighted the world's friendliest countries. The study, conducted in April, surveyed 3,000 participants from 27 countries on their “agreeableness” trait, a component of the Big 5 Personality Test. Participants took a simplified version of this section, with scores ranging from 1 to 40, and higher scores indicating greater agreeableness.
According to the findings, South Africa tops the list with an average score of 34.63, known for its friendly locals who speak various languages including English and Afrikaans. Greece follows, known for its value of philoxenia or ‘friend of the foreign,’ scoring 33.71. Croatia is third with 33.50, praised for its polite and social residents. Mexico, valuing strong family ties and heritage, scored 33.47, placing fourth.
Sweden's courteous locals helped it secure the fifth position with a score of 33.30. Australia came in sixth at 33.13, recognized for its laid-back and friendly populace. Canada, known for politeness, ranked seventh with 32.84. Germany, known for its helpful residents, came in eighth at 32.66, while Estonia, with respectful locals, ranked ninth with 32.58. Belgium secured the tenth spot with a score of 32.5, noted for its progressive social policies and easy communication in English.