World Happiness Report 2026: Finland happiest country for ninth time, India ranks 116th

Heavy social media use is harming young people’s well-being in many countries, according to a U.N.-backed World Happiness report released on Thursday (March 18, 2026), which also ranked Finland as the world’s happiest country for the ninth consecutive year.

This year’s World Happiness Report highlighted the impact of social media as many countries impose or mull legislative restrictions on social media use for young people.

This year as well, Nordic countries lead the happiness rankings.

Top ten countries in the World Happiness Report 2026

• Finland

• Iceland

• Denmark

• Costa Rica

• Sweden

• Norway

• Netherlands

• Israel

• Luxembourg

• Switzerland

Costa Rica’s rise to fourth marks the highest ever ranking for a Latin American country.

Among the 147 countries featured in the report, India ranks 116th, a slight improvement from its 118th position in 2025.

The report highlighted how life evaluations among under 25-year-olds in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have dropped significantly over the past decade, and suggested that long hours spent scrolling through social media is a key factor in that trend. By contrast, young people in other parts of the world felt better about their lives.

The report attributes Finland’s consistent top ranking along with other Northern European countries to a combination of wealth, its equal distribution, having a welfare state that protects people from the risks of recessions, and a healthy life expectancy.

As in previous years, nations in or near zones of major conflict remain at the foot of the rankings. Afghanistan is ranked as the unhappiest country again, followed by Sierra Leone and Malawi in Africa.

Ten unhappiest countries include (rankings from 138 to 147):

• Tanzania

• Egypt

• DR Congo

• Lebanon

• Yemen

• Botswana

• Zimbabwe

• Malawi

• Sierra Leone

• Afghanistan

Six factors for evaluation of happiness ranking

• GDP per capita

• Life expectancy

• Social support

• Freedom to make life choices

• Generosity

• Perceptions of corruption

Country rankings were based on answers given by around 100,000 people in 140 countries and territories who were asked to rate their own lives. The study was done in partnership with the analytics firm Gallup and the U.N. Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

Report highlights social media’s negative impact

The report said the negative correlation between well-being and extensive social media use is particularly concerning among teenage girls. For example, it said that 15-year-old girls who use social media for five hours or more reported a drop in life satisfaction, compared to others who use it less.

Young people who use social media for less than one hour per day report the highest levels of well-being, researchers said, higher than those who do not use social media at all.

The 2026 rankings mark the second year in a row that none of the English-speaking countries appear in the top 10. The United States is at 23rd place, Canada is at 25th and Britain at 29th.