World Happiness Report 2026: Finland and Afghanistan retain top and bottom positions respectively; India improves – See full list | India News

Heavy use of social media is causing a sharp decline in happiness among young people, with teenage girls in English-speaking countries and Western Europe particularly affected, according to the World Happiness Report 2026 released on Thursday.The annual study released by Oxford University’s Well-Being Research Center also found that Finland is the happiest country in the world for the ninth year in a row. Other Nordic countries – Iceland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway – continue to dominate the rankings.On the other hand, conflict-affected countries continue to rank lowest, with Afghanistan once again ranked as the least happy country, followed by Sierra Leone and Malawi.

The happiest country:

Unhappiest countries:

147.Afghanistan146.Sierra Leone145. Malawi144.Zimbabwe143. Botswana142.Yemen141. Lebanon140. Democratic Republic of the Congo139. Egypt138. TanzaniaThe report highlights that life satisfaction among under-25s has declined significantly over the past decade in countries including the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with prolonged use of social media considered a key factor.Notably, for the second year in a row, no English-speaking country appears in the top ten. The United States ranks 23rd, Canada ranks 25th, and the United Kingdom ranks 29th.Among the countries with the biggest gains, Costa Rica moved from 23rd place in 2023 to fourth place this year. Researchers attribute its rise to strong family ties and social ties.“We think it’s because of the quality of their social life and the stability they currently enjoy,” said Jan-Emmanuel Denev, director of the Center for Well-Being Research and co-editor of the report, who noted that Latin American societies tend to have stronger social ties and higher levels of social capital.The continued dominance of Nordic countries is linked to wealth, relatively equal distribution, robust welfare systems and high life expectancy, the report said.

Where does India rank?

Among the 147 countries covered in the report, India ranked 116th, a slight increase from 118th in 2025.India moved up two places in the rankings:111.Ukraine 112. Morocco 113. Guinea 114. Mali 115. Ghana 116.India 117. Somalia 118.Uganda 119.Jordan 120.MauritaniaThe rankings are based on feedback from approximately 100,000 people in 140 countries and territories, collected in partnership with Gallup and the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Participants were asked to rate their lives on a scale of 0 to 10.Among people under 25 in English-speaking and Western European countries, average life satisfaction has fallen by almost a percentage point over the past decade. The negative effects of heavy social media use are particularly pronounced among teenage girls, the report found. For example, 15-year-old girls who spend five or more hours a day on social media report significantly lower life satisfaction than girls who use social media less.Young people who spent less than an hour a day on social media had the highest levels of happiness, even higher than those who didn’t use social media at all. However, the average teenager now spends about 2.5 hours a day on these platforms.“It’s clear that we should put the ‘social’ back into social media as much as possible,” Deneve said.The report also noted regional differences. In parts of the Middle East and South America, social media use appears to be more positively correlated with happiness, with satisfaction levels remaining stable among young people despite heavy social media use.Researchers believe platform design plays a key role. Algorithm-driven, image-focused platforms that emphasize influencers tend to worsen well-being by encouraging social comparison, while platforms that focus on communication show more positive results.The findings come amid a growing global debate over regulating social media use by minors, with some countries considering or implementing restrictions.