The World Happiness Report 2026, published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, reveals that heavy social media use is contributing to a decline in well-being among young people, particularly teenage girls in English-speaking countries and Western Europe. The report found that life evaluations among those under 25 have dropped significantly over the past decade.
Key Takeaways
The World Happiness Report 2026 highlights the negative impact of heavy social media use on young people's well-being, particularly teenage girls in English-speaking countries and Western Europe. Finland remains the happiest country for the ninth consecutive year.
- Heavy social media use linked to decline in youth mental health
- Finland tops happiness rankings again, with Costa Rica entering top five
- Nordic countries' success attributed to wealth distribution, welfare systems
- Social media's negative impact more pronounced among teenage girls
- English-speaking countries see significant drop in life satisfaction scores
Finland has been named the happiest country in the world for the ninth year in a row, with other Nordic countries such as Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway also ranking among the top 10. Costa Rica made a notable entry into the top five, climbing from 23rd place in 2023 to fourth this year. The report attributes Costa Rica's rise to strong family bonds and social connections.
Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, an Oxford economics professor who directs the Wellbeing Research Centre, suggested that the quality of social lives and stability are key factors in Latin America's higher rankings. Meanwhile, nations in or near zones of major conflict remain at the bottom of the rankings, with Afghanistan being named the unhappiest country again.
The report is based on answers from around 100,000 people in 140 countries and territories who were asked to rate their own lives. Researchers noted that young people who use social media for less than one hour per day report the highest levels of well-being. The negative correlation between well-being and extensive social media use is particularly concerning among teenage girls.
Despite warnings from early childhood experts against too much screen time, schools' reliance on educational technology has grown. Some countries have banned or are considering bans on social media for minors due to the report's findings. The rankings mark the second year in a row that none of the English-speaking countries appear in the top 10.
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