Finland tops world happiness rankings again as Thailand slips to 52nd

Finland has once again been ranked the happiest country in the world in 2026, extending its streak to nine consecutive years, according to the latest World Happiness Report.

The report found that Iceland and Denmark followed in second and third place respectively, while Costa Rica entered the global top 10 for the first time in fourth place. The rankings were largely dominated by European countries, particularly in the Nordic region, with Israel the only Middle Eastern country in the top 10, at eighth.

Notably, no country where English is the primary language made it into the top 10 this year. Among major English-speaking economies, the United States ranked 23rd, followed by Canada in 25th place and the United Kingdom at 29th.

The World Happiness Report 2026 was produced by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, in partnership with Gallup and the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN SDSN). It is based on survey data from more than 100,000 people across over 140 countries.

The rankings are calculated using a three-year average of life evaluations, measured across six key factors: GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and perceptions of corruption.

The world’s 10 happiest countries in 2026 are: Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Costa Rica, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Israel, Luxembourg and Switzerland.

Thailand ranked 52nd globally this year, down from 49th previously, but remained third in ASEAN, behind Singapore and Vietnam.

In Asia, Taiwan ranked highest at 26th globally, followed by Kazakhstan (33rd), the Philippines (56th), Japan (61st), China (65th), Malaysia (71st), Indonesia (87th), Laos (92nd), India (116th), Cambodia (121st) and Myanmar (129th).

John F. Helliwell, an emeritus economics professor at the University of British Columbia and one of the report’s editors, said that cooperation within society is a key factor behind Finland’s continued success.

“A successful society is one that works together when facing difficulties,” he said. “Finns understand this well, and when people feel that ‘we are in this together’, the potential of society becomes almost limitless.”

This view was echoed by Semi Salmi, a retiree who regularly swims in icy waters in Helsinki, who said Finnish people have high life satisfaction, confidence and trust in their institutions, country and government.

He also highlighted access to quality healthcare, noting that his father, who lives in long-term care, receives excellent support from the system.

Finland’s success is also attributed to a combination of wealth, equitable income distribution, a comprehensive welfare system and strong trust in public institutions, which together reduce economic risks and create stability in people’s lives.

The report also highlighted a worrying trend: high levels of social media use are contributing to a clear decline in happiness among younger generations.

In particular, “passive consumption” — such as endlessly scrolling through algorithm-driven content without interacting — was found to negatively affect mental wellbeing. Platforms that emphasise images, influencers and algorithmic feeds tend to encourage social comparison, worsening the impact.

By contrast, platforms focused on direct communication showed fewer negative effects.

Data also showed that in many developed countries, especially English-speaking nations and Western Europe, life satisfaction among people under 25 has declined significantly over the past decade, with heavy social media use identified as a key factor.

However, moderate use appears to be beneficial. Those who spend less than one hour per day on social media reported higher life satisfaction than both heavy users and those who do not use it at all, reflecting the growing complexity of wellbeing in the digital age.