March 20,IPU Media International Update News : The United Nations, in collaboration with the Gallup World Poll, released the ‘World Happiness Report 2026’ on Wednesday. This annual report—which lists the happiest countries in the world—is published through a partnership involving the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, the Gallup World Poll, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network. For the ninth consecutive year, Finland has retained its title as the happiest country in the world. Out of 147 nations surveyed, Pakistan ranked 104th, while India stood at the 116th position. In 2025, India was ranked 118th. Israel a nation embroiled in conflict for the past two and a half years—ranked as the eighth happiest country globally.

Countries plagued by conflict occupy the bottom rungs of the list. Afghanistan once again ranked as the least happy country, followed by Sierra Leone and Malawi. Notably, for this edition as well, no English-speaking nation made it into the top 10 rankings. The United States ranked 23rd, Canada 25th, and the United Kingdom 29th.

The report attributes the happiness of nations like Finland to favorable economic conditions, equitable distribution of resources, robust social welfare systems, and high standards of living. This report states that excessive social media usage is distancing young people from happiness and is having a negative impact on their mental well-being.

** Here are the top 10 happiest countries in the world! **

*1. Finland
*2. Iceland
*3. Denmark
*4. Costa Rica
*5. Sweden
*6. Norway
*7. Netherlands
*8. Israel
*9. Luxembourg
*10. Switzerland

** Here are the 10 countries at the very bottom of the global happiness rankings! **

*1. Afghanistan (145)
*2. Sierra Leone (146)
*3. Malawi (145)
*4. Zimbabwe (144)
*5. Botswana (143)
*6. Yemen (142)
*7. Lebanon (141)
*8. DR Congo (140)
*9. Egypt (139)
*10. Tanzania (138)

** The Effects of Social Media Usage **

These rankings were compiled based on responses gathered from approximately 100,000 individuals across 147 countries, in partnership with the Gallup World Poll and the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

In English-speaking and Western European nations, average life satisfaction scores among individuals under the age of 25 have declined by nearly one point over the past decade. A report has revealed that the negative impact of excessive social media usage is particularly evident among adolescent girls. According to the report, 15-year-old girls who spend five or more hours a day on social media were found to have significantly lower levels of life satisfaction compared to those who use it less frequently.

Young people who spend less than an hour a day on social media report higher levels of well being even surpassing those who do not use it at all. However, today’s adolescents are currently spending an average of approximately 2.5 hours per day on social media platforms.

** Important Note : The report warns that excessive social media usage is diminishing happiness among young people.

** What is the World Happiness Report -? **

The World Happiness Report is published annually in partnership with global organizations such as the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, Gallup, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

It assigns rankings to countries based on “life evaluation scores,” which reflect how people assess their overall quality of life. Factors such as income, health, freedom, generosity, and social support are taken into consideration.

— M Venkata T Reddy, News Editor and Investigative Journalist