Top 10 Countries with the Best Sense of Humor
Humor is one of those things that can feel universal, but at the same time, it's often shaped by a country's culture, history, and even quirks of language. When you travel, you start to notice that what gets people laughing in one place might leave folks in another scratching their heads. Some countries are known for their biting sarcasm, others for their absurdity, and some for their love of physical comedy or wordplay.The beauty of humor is that it's subjective - what cracks one person up might fall flat with someone else. That's why it's so fun to compare and talk about different senses of humor around the world. You've probably noticed that certain countries consistently produce comedians, sitcoms, and comedy films that go on to influence global humor. But then again, even in places where comedy isn't an obvious export, people are still laughing every day.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly shortened to United Kingdom, UK or Britain is a Sovereign State located of the Northwestern coast of Europe. It is a Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy currently lead by Monarch Queen Elizabeth II and its current prime minister is... read more I agree with Bill Bryson. Brits (and, at my peril, I am including the Irish) love to laugh and cannot be in conversation for more than five minutes without sharing and laughing at something funny. The humor is different in different parts of the UK: some high-brow and subtle, some much less so, some dry, some very robustly not. Watch two Americans talking, two French, two Germans (sorry, that last was unfair, we all know a German joke is no laughing matter), and they can go hours without a laugh, especially middle-class Americans who can drone on in mock-scientific expertise mode until all around them have lost the will to live.
Humor in the UK and Ireland is like tea. It's on offer minutes, sometimes seconds, into any conversation between friends, family, or strangers.
The United States of America, or the U.S.A. for short, is a federal republic composed of 50 states, 48 of them are contiguous states. There are two other states, Alaska and Hawaii, which are north and south of the contiguous states, respectively. The United States declared its independence from the... read more A country with the best comedians, the funniest movies, and a millennial population never ceasing to make each other laugh... The USA should definitely be considered a top contender. Anyone who has spent time with a group of Americans will find themselves in an environment where every friendly interaction leaves you laughing and joyful. American humor comes in every form imaginable, from immature to witty. Anyone who has seen enough American comedies and stand-ups would rate the USA at the top of their list.
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of 7,617,930 square kilometres (2,941,300 sq mi), Australia is the largest country by area in Oceania and... read more Aussies are bloody funny. Love their accent, dark sense of humor, and sarcasm. They are just great. Americans love Aussies, but they are so far away.
I love Australian comedians like Cal Wilson and Anh Do. They really know how to make their life stories sound really funny and interesting. Their improvisation in shows is absolutely great.
It depends on how you answer the question. Yes, the Brits probably have better comedians historically. However, the Australian people themselves, i.e., regular people, are more widely known for our sense of humor.
Formed in 1916 after the Easter uprising, Ireland is a small country with a population of roughly 5 million. The Irish are jovial and enjoy telling witty stories. They also engage happily with strangers using humor as an icebreaker. I think this puts them well ahead of the English, who are cold and only start expressing their humor if they know you really well.
Go to any place where people meet, the pub, rugby pitch, or workplace, and you will hear the Irish chortling. In England, you hardly ever hear people joking or laughing, except when they are at home. English humor relies very heavily on belittling others. If you want fun, go to Ireland.
England, previously the Kingdom of England, is a constituent country of the United Kingdom along with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.England can trace its history as far back as the 10th century, but modern England didn't start till the Norman Invasion of 1066. In 1535, England annexed... read more
It's not really fair to mention just England for their sense of humor, even though it's England that has produced the most successful comedies. The rest of Great Britain also has a fantastic sense of humor. It's not just comedies and comedians that get paid to be funny. It's the ordinary British Joe Public that makes me laugh. The British people, on the whole, have a very dry, intelligent, subtle, and often very sarcastic sense of fun and playfulness.
I work with immigrants from different countries. When they arrive in England, their sense of humor is not great, but within a few months, they pick up our humor and go back to their own countries with a completely different mentality towards life. That's the great effect we have on different nationalities.
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It is situated in the western Pacific Ocean and consists of around 7,641 islands that are broadly categorized under three main geographical divisions from north to south: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao... read more For me, the Philippines, where I live, has one of the most humorous personalities. Amidst every problem we face, like typhoons, volcanic eruptions, poverty, and many more, most of the people here just face them and smile.
And have you seen social media? There are a lot of Filipino entertainers who have become famous, one of the reasons being their humor. I know a lot of humorous people here: in school, there will always be someone. In the neighborhood, among my relatives, everywhere. Even a stranger can make you smile. I can't describe it completely, but I swear to you, Filipinos are really good at humor.
Japan is an island country in East Asia in the Pacific Ocean. It lies off the eastern coast of the Asia Mainland (east of China, Korea, Russia) and stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and near Taiwan in the southwest... read more From everyday life to drama, comics, and animation, Japan is undoubtedly the greatest when it comes to having a great sense of humor. Japanese people are not only nice and polite. They're funny too.
They have a funny sense of humor. Their comedy shows are great. They can be cold and shy sometimes, though.
Serbia, officially the Republic of Serbia, is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungary to the north, Romania to the northeast, Bulgaria to the southeast, North Macedonia to the south,... read more Serbia, Croatia, and the region have the best sense of humor! The best comedy shows are American. However, Serbia and Croatia, especially Serbia, also have great comedy shows. I live in Croatia. By the way, British humor is the worst of all. There are no funny TV shows, and Brits generally laugh at anything. They themselves don't have any sense of humor. Just watch Britain's Got Talent comedy acts or any British TV comedy show, and you will see what I mean.
Italy (Italian: Repubblica Italiana) is a sovereign state and unitary parliamentary republic in south-central Europe.Italy covers an area of 301,338 km². With almost 62 million inhabitants, it is the third most populous EU member state. Located in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, Italy shares... read more
Italians are really funny and friendly. They love to laugh and smile, tell jokes, and are super dramatic with their hands. Italians are dramatic in general and love life.
I think Italians have the best sense of humor anywhere. If you understand Italian, you will see what I mean. I am not Italian but I appreciate their sense of humor.
One of the funniest countries I have ever been to. Once you get to know them, Italians are very funny people.
Egypt, officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Gaza Strip (Palestine) and Israel to the northeast,... read more Since I was a child, I have been traveling a lot to different countries, but Egypt always wins because it is close to my heart. Fortunately, I was born in Egypt. I even learned the Arabic language, especially the "Egyptian dialect," only because I love living there next to its people. The Egyptian jokes and the humor of its people excited me, and how kind its people are makes you feel that you are in your country wherever you are in Egypt.
The very interesting Egyptian Pharaonic history is a part of this charm. In short, everything in Egypt is very beautiful. They make everything funny out of nothing and make life wonderful, even when they are at their worst. You will fall in love with Egypt permanently.
Russia, or the Russian Federation (RF), is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world by area, covering over 17,125,191 square kilometres (6,612,073 sq mi), and encompassing one-eighth of Earth's inhabitable landmass. Russia extends across... read more Russians are very funny. They should be higher.
Very funny people, with a lot of jokes.
India, officially known as the Republic of India, is a country located in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area and the most populous country, with over 1.4 billion people. Additionally, it is the most populous democracy in the world... read more Despite being a multicultural and multilingual nation, the sense of humor of the Indian people is awesome, which you can easily spot here in the United States. They must have good jokes and sarcasm in their different languages because many jokes are limited by language and cannot be translated with the same fun into other languages.
In India, humor is our other language. The only country where you can see a variety of humor, be that witty comments, different sounds, sarcasm, and more. Whereas English and Americans are famous only for sarcasm and explicit vulgar humors.
Canada is a country in North America that is next to the United States, and it's the 2nd largest country in the world by area (size is 9.985 million km²). This country has 10 provinces, and 3 territories. Canada became a dominion on July 1, 1867. Its 10 provinces are: Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec,... read more Canadian culture holds sarcasm as a main form of communication from a very young age, when generally brain development prevents young children from being able to comprehend sarcasm. Maybe we're just not rude enough, like the dry sarcasm from the Brits, or as obnoxious as the Aussies and Americans. Rest assured, we are passively aggressively leading the world in sarcasm.
Jim Carrey, Norm MacDonald, Mike Myers, Seth Rogen, John Candy, Will Arnett... to name a few. These iconic names are revolutionary in American comedy culture, with the likes of Carrey and Rogen being prolific influences in some of the best-known comedy flicks around.
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a federal republic located in North America. The country is located between the U.S. and Central America, and is known for its Pacific and Gulf of Mexico beaches and its diverse landscape of mountains, deserts, and jungles. If Mexico is not number one, it's because our humor is extremely clever. Even if you speak Spanish, it can be challenging to understand our jokes.
As a foreigner, it was so difficult for me at the beginning to get the jokes. But once I learned Spanish, I understood how Mexicans joke. I loved it.
Mexican humor is great. They even make jokes about themselves, which is a thing not everybody does.
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in southwestern Europe with parts of territory in the Atlantic Ocean and across the Mediterranean Sea. The largest part of Spain is situated on the Iberian Peninsula; its territory also includes the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, the Balearic Islands... read more I don't agree. I think Spanish people have the best sense of humor in Europe.
They always make you laugh with their sense of humor.
Spanish people know how to make people laugh, and they aren't boring.
France, officially the French Republic, is a sovereign state comprising territory in western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. The European part of France, called metropolitan France, extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to... read more France has the highest number of comedians and imitators in Europe, as well as a significant number of comic TV and radio shows. There are absolutely no taboos, but everything is approached with respect. Bashing or insulting just to hurt is not considered humor.
I like French humor because it can be dark, ironic, and very subtle, with a lot of underlying wordplay and puns. There are almost no taboos. And of course, there's self-criticism.
Some French jokes were hard to understand, but when my sister taught me them, I loved it!
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eastern border is defined by the Sea of Japan. South Korea claims... read more They have really funny talk shows. It's just that they're not popularized internationally because of their language barrier. But nowadays, a lot of these videos are uploaded to YouTube with subtitles and are gaining popularity.
Turkey, officially the Republic of Turkey, is a transcontinental country in Eurasia, mainly in Anatolia in Western Asia, with a smaller portion on the Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. Turkey is bordered by eight countries with Greece and Bulgaria to the northwest; Georgia to the northeast; Armenia,... read more Best sense of humor by far. Very high standards, because the country itself is the most absurd, being a combo of East and West.
The humor of this country feeds on its cultural wealth. The deep historical background gives color to this richness.
Only people in Turkey can understand. For other people, it may be difficult.
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and covers the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Scotland is the most mountainous, and least densely populated country in the United Kingdom. Obviously, Scotland has the best sense of humor. Indeed, it needs the best sense of humor, as we have England as neighbors.
We don't take ourselves seriously and find humor in so many things. I'm moving to the States soon and know they don't laugh at the same things. Scotland, the finest and most beautiful country in the world! Will I move? No! I'll just stay in Bonnie Scotland, eat my porridge and my stovies with an oatcake, and wear my cosy clothes.
I am a natural-born Scot, and man, does everyone I know from Scotland have a hilarious sense of humor!
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a sovereign and unitary monarchy in Northern Europe whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula plus the island Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard... read more Norwegians are one of the funniest and nicest people in the world.
Norwegian humor is so fun. We love to make a fool out of ourselves.
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey... read more The Greeks are well-known for their hospitality because, among other things, they have a great sense of humor and laugh a lot. This creates an instantly cheerful ambiance, even among complete strangers. It should be ranked higher.
We must be first because we only have humor to pass our crisis.
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of 2,780,400 km2 (1,073,500 sq mi), making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourth-largest country in the Americas, and the eighth-largest country... read more
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At 8.5 million square kilometers (3,300,000 sq mi) and with over 214 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area and the sixth most populous. Its capital is Brasília,... read more Brazil should be ranked much higher. Their love to socialize, converse, express emotion, and sincerity... maybe they are less aware of stand-up comedy because of Brazilian issues, but their capacity to make fun, tease, take and give dark humor is unlimited.
Brazil is just so good. Their people make fun of everything, and they don't care who is going to be offended. I love Brazil.
Denmark is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the most populous and politically central constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands and Greenland in the North Atlantic Ocean. European Denmark is the southernmost... read more They have a really dark sense of humor that I actually enjoy.
Even when they get criticized by the rest of the world, they take it with a laugh.
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe, bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine and Belarus to the east; and the Baltic Sea, Kaliningrad Oblast (a Russian exclave) and Lithuania to the north. With a population of approximately... read more Hilarious people, tough-minded, love to joke around and see the funny in life.