World Happiness Report 2024: Finland Tops Rankings, Costa Rica Rises | Social Media & Wellbeing Impact

Finland has retained its position as the world’s happiest country for the seventh consecutive year, according to the 2026 World Happiness Report, released Monday. Iceland and Denmark followed closely behind, securing second and third place respectively. The report, a collaboration between the University of Oxford’s Wellbeing Research Centre, Gallup, and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, assesses happiness levels across 143 countries and territories.

Costa Rica marked a significant milestone, rising to fourth place – the highest ranking ever achieved by a Latin American nation, and the first to break into the top five. Sweden and Norway continued to perform strongly, placing sixth and seventh, although the Netherlands, Israel, and Luxembourg rounded out the top ten.

The report also highlighted a growing trend: the correlation between heavy social media leverage and diminished wellbeing, particularly among young people. Researchers found that high levels of internet activity were associated with lower life satisfaction, a pattern most pronounced among girls and in the United Kingdom and Ireland. However, the report also acknowledged the potential benefits of internet use, noting its ability to foster trust, social connection, and perceived social activity.

Across the Asia-Pacific region, New Zealand and Australia demonstrated strong results, ranking 11th and 15th globally. Taiwan led the region at 26th, followed by Singapore (36th) and Vietnam (45th). Thailand (52nd), the Philippines (56th), and Japan (61st) also featured in the global top 50. China ranked 65th, with South Korea at 67th, Malaysia at 71st, and Mongolia at 75th.

Hong Kong, however, continued a downward trajectory, falling two places to 90th in the rankings. Further down the list, India ranked 116th, showing improvement from previous years, while Pakistan (104th), Nepal (99th), Cambodia (121st), Bangladesh (127th), Myanmar (129th), Sri Lanka (134th), and Afghanistan (147th) all faced significant challenges in terms of reported happiness levels.

The Nordic nations’ consistent success is attributed to strong social support systems, robust governance, and high levels of trust, according to previous reports. This year’s findings suggest these factors continue to play a crucial role in fostering wellbeing. The report’s authors have not yet commented on specific policy recommendations stemming from the social media findings, but have indicated further research is planned to explore the complex relationship between digital engagement and life satisfaction.

Work to revise the Nordic constitution is currently underway, marking 30 years since the last major amendments, though the connection to the happiness report has not been publicly stated.