For the ninth year in a row, Finland has been declared the world’s happiest country, according to the World Happiness Report 2026 released by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford. Its Nordic neighbours continue to shine as well, with Iceland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway all securing spots among the ten happiest nations. The rankings draw from the responses of about 100,000 people across 140 countries, who rate their lives on a scale from zero to ten. Compiled in partnership with Gallup and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the report blends these personal life evaluations with broader economic and social indicators to understand how people perceive their wellbeing.
Even as global circumstances change, Finland has held onto its top position for nearly a decade. Experts attribute this consistency to strong social support networks, high levels of trust, efficient welfare systems and a healthy life expectancy—factors that collectively help Finnish citizens feel more satisfied with their lives. The Nordic model, with its emphasis on work–life balance and equality, continues to distinguish the region on the global stage.
This year’s list of the ten happiest countries features Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Costa Rica, Norway, Switzerland, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Austria. Among these, Costa Rica stands out for its dramatic rise into the top five, a leap credited to the country’s close family ties and strong sense of community. At the opposite end of the spectrum, conflict-affected nations such as Afghanistan, Sierra Leone and Malawi remain among the lowest-ranked. The bottom ten countries in the 2026 report include Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Malawi, Rwanda, Zambia, Tanzania, Lesotho, Burundi, Zimbabwe and Iraq.
India, meanwhile, is ranked 116, placing it in the lower half of the global index. While the country has shown improvement in areas such as social support and life expectancy, several persistent challenges—economic inequality, high stress levels and limited work–life balance—continue to impact overall happiness. Even so, ongoing efforts aimed at strengthening community support and wellbeing initiatives are slowly beginning to show positive effects.
A key highlight of this year’s report is the growing concern around the impact of heavy social media use on mental wellbeing, particularly among young people. Over the past decade, life satisfaction among those under 25 in English-speaking and Western European countries has fallen by nearly one point. Teenage girls, the report notes, are especially vulnerable to the effects of constant scrolling, which has prompted experts to call for healthier digital habits and, in some countries, stricter regulations for minors using social media. Policymakers are increasingly paying attention, with several governments reviewing or tightening rules to safeguard young users.
The World Happiness Report goes beyond simple rankings. It paints a broader picture of how economic stability, social connections, health, personal freedoms and even digital habits shape the way people feel about their lives. With concerns about declining youth wellbeing gaining urgency, experts argue that finding the right balance between online engagement and real-world social interaction could play a vital role in improving happiness levels for younger generations in the years to come.
