Czechs funniest nation in the world, scientific study finds
“Czech humour is legendarily dry, operating through deadpan delivery and subtle verbal jabs that can sometimes catch you off guard,” lauds the ranking, published by Remitly. In a questionnaire of over 6,000 participants, Czechs came out on top with 72.33 points out of a possible 112.
In a ranking spanning 30 countries, Czechia edged Portugal and Ireland to claim the top spot. According to the study, “Czechs excel at self-defeating humour and also rank highly for aggressive humour, a potent mix of self-deprecation, razor-sharp irony, and expertly wielded sarcasm.”
Self-defeating humour is one of the four categories included in the study, in which Czechia was found to have the greatest knack for comedic self-depreciation. Aggressive humour also seems to be a Czech forte, ranking third overall behind Hungary and Poland. The remaining two categories are self-enhancing humour, and affiliative humour.
The study, known as the Humor Styles Questionnaire, was developed in 2003 by Canadian psychologist Rod A. Martin and his team. Its aim is not only to find out how funny people are and how often they use humour, but also with what intentions and for which purposes they do so.
In the case of Czechia, the study claims use of humour is “rooted in its history,” and that “Czechs have refined humour into a survival tool, using wit as psychological armour that has evolved into a defining national characteristic.”
Though not all countries were considered due to polling limitations, the study includes countries from all six inhabited continents. Portugal and Ireland ranked second and third respectively, with Belgium and Chile rounding off the top five.
The study emphasises that a lesser ranking does not indicate being “unfunny”, but can simply mean that humour serves less of a psychological role – that the population and society is “less humour-oriented”.
