Which country is the happiest in 2026?
Recently the 2026 World Happiness Report launched, and this year’s theme is Happiness and Social Media.
https://www.worldhappiness.report/?mc_cid=6aef9b4f52&mc_eid=0e5e6f655c
This year’s findings include:
- The Nordic countries retain the top spots in the world happiness rankings, Finland is No.1 (again!), followed by Iceland then Denmark; Costa Rica has jumped to 4th place.
- Young people’s happiness is falling in English-speaking countries. In places like North America and Western Europe, young people are significantly less happy than 15 years ago, unlike most of the world, where youth wellbeing has improved.
- Heavy social media use is linked to lower wellbeing. On average, those who use social media for longer periods report lower life satisfaction than light users.
- Not all screen time is equal. Activities like messaging, learning, and creating content are linked to higher wellbeing, while passive scrolling, gaming, and “browsing for fun” are linked to lower wellbeing.
- How social media is designed really matters. Platforms that encourage connection tend to support happiness, while those driven by algorithms, influencers, and comparison tend to harm it.
- Many people feel ‘trapped’ using social media. A lot of users say they’d actually prefer social media didn’t exist, but they keep using it because everyone else does.
- Connection in real life matters far more. Feeling a sense of belonging (e.g. at school or in community) has a much bigger impact on happiness than reducing social media use alone.