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World Happiness Report 2026: Finland Leads Again as Costa Rica Jumps Into Top Five

The new release from Oxford’s Wellbeing Research Centre with Gallup ranks nations using 2023–25 life evaluations.

Overview

  • Finland tops the rankings for a ninth year with a score of 7.764, as Iceland and Denmark round out a Nordic-led top three and Costa Rica climbs to fourth.
  • Afghanistan remains last at 147th with a score of 1.446, reflecting severe crises that depress reported life satisfaction.
  • Canada places 25th, down from 18th last year and two spots below the United States, with the report averaging Gallup responses from 2023 to 2025.
  • The study draws on the Cantril Ladder across roughly 147 countries and notes sharp declines in under‑25 wellbeing in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand linked to heavy social media use.
  • India ranks 116th, up two places with the weakest social support score reported, while South Africa sits 101st out of 147 with an overall life‑evaluation of 5.009.