Podcast

Finland once again is named the happiest country in the world, extending a nine-year winning streak never seen before in the 14 editions of the World Happiness Report (WHR). When asked to evaluate their lives, Finns report a stunning score of 7.764 out 10. The Top 10 Happiest Countries in the World According to the WHR, the happiest countries in the word are: Finland Iceland Denmark Costa Rica Sweden Norway Netherlands Israel Luxembourg Switzerland While the Nordic countries continue dominating the top 10, Costa Rica has surged up the rankings, rising from 23 in 2023 to fourth this year. Other countries making an upward trend include Kosovo (16), Slovenia (18), and Czechia. Conversely, the 2026 report is the first time that no English-speaking countries have appeared in the top 10 and only half in the top 20. Australia ranks 15, while the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom landed at 23, 25, and 29. The United States in particular has seen a dramatic drop in happiness over the past decade, especially in young people. Amongst people under 25, the U.S. ranked near the bottom at No. 122. How Happiness is Determined Released annually to coincide with the International Day of Happiness, the World Happiness Report is a global study that ranks countries on the current state of happiness of their citizens based off of self-reported life satisfaction collected from the Gallup World Poll. Researchers analyze happiness in two ways: Life satisfaction — how people rate their lives overall Daily well-being — how people feel in the moment Together, these measures reflect both the emotion and the evaluation of happiness. Each national score is based off of a three-year average, and researchers analyze six key factors that help explain why some countries are happier than others: GDP Per Capita: Your material standard of living. Social Support: Having people in your life you can rely on. Health and Life Expectancy: How healthy and long you live. Freedom: Your ability to make life choices. Generosity: Engaging in prosocial behavior. Corruption: Trust (or lack thereof) in government and business. In Finland and other countries in the top-ranking countries, researchers note strong social safety nets, high levels of trust in institutions, low levels of corruptions, and healthier behaviors. An Alarming Downward Trend Beyond the country rankings, the WHR also reflects a shift in life evaluation across the English-speaking countries, particular among young people. According to Gallup World Poll data, life evaluations in people under 25 living in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have dropped significantly over the past 10 years, while the rest of the world has increased. Researchers point to social media as a contributing factor, citing that young people who spend less than one hour a day using social media tend to be happier. Heavy screen time usage leads to a decline in personal socialization and an increase in loneliness and sadness. Other contributing factors for less happiness in English-speaking countries include erosion of trust and social belonging, rising negative emotions, social fragmentation, and political polarization. John F. Helliwell, emeritus professor of economics at the University of British Columbia and a founding editor of the WHR, says, “When it comes to happiness, building what is good in life is more important than finding and fixing what is bad. Both need doing, now more than ever.” Finding Happiness in America While the United States may not be moving the needle in happiness on the world stage, there are still many places across the country where well-being is thriving. Personal finance company WalletHub recently released its annual Happiest Cities in America list. Fremont, California, topped the list due to strong financial stability, high life satisfaction, low depression levels, and the lowest divorce rate in the country. The Top 10 Happiest Cities in America According to WalletHub, the 10 happiest places to live in the United States are: Fremont, California Bismarck, North Dakota Scottsdale, Arizona South Burlington, Vermont Fargo, North Dakota Overland Park, Kansas Charleston, South Carolina Irvine, California Gilbert, Arizona San Jose, California Researchers from WalletHub find that people tend to be happiest in mid-sized cities or suburbs with strong job markets, healthy lifestyles, and close-knit communities. Other notable findings that make life a little easier include the lowest share of adults sleeping less than seven hours in South Burlington, Vermont, and the lowest commute time to work in Bismarck, North Dakota. According to WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo, “The ideal city provides conditions that foster good mental and physical health, like reasonable work hours, short commutes, good weather, and caring neighbors.” Evidence-Based Boosts to Well-Being One thing is clear from this year’s WHR report: strong social bonds can help protect against declining well-being. One of the strongest predictors for happiness continues to be the social connections we build and maintain. When people share meals together, trust their communities, and help others, life satisfaction increases. Taking regular digital breaks, finding meaning in everyday life, and reducing stress also improve well-being. Ultimately, collective happiness starts with the small individual actions taken every day that create a positive ripple effect that build stronger, happier communities.