- Finland has been crowned the world's happiest nation for the ninth consecutive year, with other Nordic countries consistently ranking among the top 10.
- Costa Rica made a big leap in the World Happiness Report 2026, attributed to strong family bonds and social connections; it is the first time a Latin American country has made the top 10.
- Iceland, Denmark, and Costa Rica are the second, third and fourth happiest nations respectively, followed by Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Israel, Luxembourg, and Switzerland.
- The report indicates that heavy social media engagement is contributing to a stark decline in the well-being of young people, particularly teenage girls in English-speaking and Western European countries.
- Life evaluations among under-25s in nations such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have significantly dropped over the past decade, with prolonged social media use identified as a key factor.
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Happiness Report highlights social media’s negative impact on Western Europe
