Romania is the second happiest country in the European Union, with only Austria having a higher overall life satisfaction, according to a Eurostat study.

According to the surprising data provided by the official EU institution, EU citizens rated their overall life satisfaction in 2022 at an average of 7.1 points on a scale from 0 (very dissatisfied) to 10 (very satisfied).

For 18 out of the 27 EU countries, overall life satisfaction was rated above or equal to the EU average.

The highest score was recorded in Austria (7.9), followed by Finland, Poland and Romania (all at 7.7), Belgium and the Netherlands (both at 7.6), while the lowest scores are in Bulgaria (5.6), Germany (6.5) and Greece (6.7).

In all countries, except Bulgaria, the average ratings of life satisfaction were above 6, meaning that the majority of people in the EU declared themselves rather satisfied than dissatisfied.

Life satisfaction can be influenced by many factors, such as age, level of education, family, financial situation, as well as the diversity of experiences, choices, priorities and values of an individual, according to Eurostat.