With the global headlines so often full of bad news, we’re turning our attention to five good-news stories — drawn from secular states and majority non-religious societies around the world.
Five new posters on Humanists UK’s social media channels highlight case studies from the Nordic countries, New Zealand, Taiwan, and Uruguay, using evidence from UNICEF, the Pew Research Center, the World Happiness Report, the Global Peace Index, the EIU Democracy Index, and the World Justice Project.
Five case studies
Europe’s happiest children, least religious countries
UNICEF’s latest assessment of child wellbeing puts some of Europe’s least religious countries right at the top — places where most adults now report no religion, yet children rank among the happiest and healthiest in the developed world.
Highly secular Nordic countries top the World Happiness Report
The Nordic countries — among the most secular on Earth — have dominated the top of the World Happiness Report year after year, with Finland first again in 2025 and Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden never far behind.
World Happiness Report 2025.
New Zealand: secular democracy, one of the world’s most peaceful countries
With the 2023 New Zealand census, ‘no religion’ became the single largest group in New Zealand. Far from fraying, the country remains a stable secular democracy and ranks consistently among the most peaceful places in the world on the Global Peace Index.
Global Peace Index 2025; Stats NZ Census 2023
Taiwan: secular democracy, first in Asia for marriage equality
Taiwan is one of Asia’s most vibrant secular democracies. In 2019 it became the first country in the region to introduce marriage equality, after its constitutional court ruled the previous ban unlawful in 2017.
Constitutional Court of Taiwan, 2017; Marriage Equality Act, 2019.
Uruguay: South America’s only full, secular democracy
Uruguay separated church and state more than a century ago. It is the only country in South America rated a ‘full democracy’ in the EIU’s 2024 index, and a regional leader on rights and the rule of law. A long tradition of secular government has gone hand in hand with one of the continent’s most stable and liberal societies.
In 2025, freedom-loving Uruguay became the first Latin American country to legalise assisted dying.
EIU Democracy Index 2024; World Justice Project Rule of Law Index 2025.
These are five very different case studies, and they aren’t meant to be representative of every society on Earth. Nor do they suggest that the Nordic countries, New Zealand, Taiwan, or Uruguay are perfect societies without problems of their own, or that non-religious societies and secular states are inherently any more — or less — functional than any others. We can all think of counter-examples. But what these stories have in common is that, together, they challenge a narrative heard from some quarters: that religion is the fundamental bedrock of human values and a fulfilling life, or that a state religion is an essential ingredient for a healthy, harmonious society.
What is humanism?
‘Humanist‘ is the term used to describe a broad range of non-religious values and convictions. It refers, broadly, to people who believe that this is the one life we have; that decisions are best made on the basis of evidence; that science is the best way to answer questions about how the world works; and that morality should be grounded in empathy for other people’s experiences and a clear-eyed view of the likely consequences of our actions.
UK and global contexts
In the UK, where around half the population is non-religious, polling suggests that at least a quarter of adults take this broadly humanist approach to life. A recent UK study also suggests that non-religious children grow up happy and thoughtful, and with clear moral values.
For a wider study of freedom of thought, expression, and belief around the world, Humanists International’s annual Freedom of Thought Report is an invaluable resource, looking at every country through four distinct lenses: constitutional and legal frameworks; education and children’s rights; family, community, and society; and freedom of expression and the advocacy of humanist values.
Notes
Humanists UK is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people. Powered by over 150,000 members and supporters, we advance free thinking and promote humanism to create a tolerant society where rational thinking and kindness prevail. We provide ceremonies, pastoral care, education, and support services benefitting over a million people every year and our campaigns advance humanist thinking on ethical issues, human rights, and equal treatment for all.