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WASHINGTON - The Nordic nations continue to dominate as the world’s happiest countries, according to an annual survey of how people rate their own lives across the globe.
The survey, conducted by Gallup, was published in the World Happiness Report on March 18. The poll collected data from more than 140 countries.
Life evaluations were measured by asking respondents to rate their lives on a ladder from zero, the worst possible life, to 10, the best possible life. The annual rankings reflected three-year averages, allowing comparisons across countries and generations, and over time.
Finland ranked world’s happiest country in 2026
By the numbers:
Finland once again led the world as the happiest country – marking its ninth consecutive year at No. 1.
The Nordic nations dominated the top of the rankings, with Iceland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway joining Finland in filling five of the top six spots this year.
Helsinki, Finland pictured. (Credit: Getty Images)
But the top of the list also extended beyond Western advanced economies. Costa Rica ranked fourth, entering the top five for the first time and achieving the highest ranking ever for a Latin American country. The Netherlands, Israel, Luxembourg and Switzerland rounded out the top 10.
Meanwhile, several long-standing high-income countries moved down in the rankings. Canada fell from sixth to 25th, Austria from eighth to 19th, and Australia from 10th to 15th.
The United States moved up to 23rd, rising one spot from last year’s 24th ranking, which was its lowest ever position.
Afghanistan ranked unhappiest country in 2026
Afghanistan was again ranked as the unhappiest country in the world.
Sierra Leone in western Africa was the second unhappiest, followed by Malawi and Zimbabwe.
What they're saying:
"Rankings show how countries compare," Gallup said in its report. "Changes in life evaluations reveal how people’s experiences are evolving within them. Leaders who pay attention to both are better positioned to strengthen wellbeing across generations and over time."
Happiness has improved in more countries than declined
Dig deeper:
Comparing the early years of the Gallup World Poll highlight that happiness has improved in more countries than it has declined in.
The report revealed that 79 of the 136 countries ranked have seen statistically significant increases in happiness.
Meanwhile, 41 countries have experienced statistically significant decreases.
In many countries where overall happiness scores have risen the most, much of the improvement appeared to come from younger generations, according to the annual report.
A number of countries in Central and Eastern Europe — including Serbia, Bulgaria, Latvia, Romania and Lithuania — ranked among those with the largest gains in youth life evaluations since 2006–2010.
In the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, collectively known as the NANZ countries, this did not happen. In these four countries, youth happiness fell by an average of 0.86 points on the 0 to 10 scale.
The report did not attribute these changes to any single factor. However, much of this year’s report examined the role of social media and related digital trends in shaping younger generations’ experiences.
World’s Happiest Countries
- Finland
- Iceland
- Denmark
- Costa Rica
- Sweden
- Norway
- Netherlands
- Israel
- Luxembourg
- Switzerland
- New Zealand
- Mexico
- Ireland
- Belgium
- Australia
- Kosovo
- Germany
- Slovenia
- Austria
- Czech Republic
- United Arab Emirates
- Saudi Arabia
- United States
- Poland
- Canada
See the full report here.
What makes people happy?
Big picture view:
Researchers say that beyond health and wealth, some factors that influence happiness sound deceptively simple: sharing meals with others, having somebody to count on for social support, and household size.
In Mexico and Europe, for example, a household size of four to five people predicts the highest levels of happiness, a previous study said.
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Believing in the kindness of others is also much more closely tied to happiness than previously thought, according to findings.
The Source: The information for this story was provided by the 2026 Gallup World Happiness Report. This story was reported from Los Angeles. Previous FOX Local reporting contributed.