In 2026 Finland is the happiest country in the world

Finland has been named the happiest country in the world for the ninth year in a row in the World Happiness Report 2026, with an average score of 7.76 on the happiness scale.

Iceland and Denmark follow in second and third place. Costa Rica is making a remarkable climb to fourth place – in 2023 the country was still in 23rd place.

Sweden drops one place to sixth place, while Norway comes fifth. Frank Martela, associate professor at Aalto University, points to high social trust and low corruption as explanations for the Nordic countries’ high ranking.

— Finland’s high average score is not due to the fact that there are more extremely happy people, but rather fewer extremely unhappy people than in most other countries, Martela told the Finnish Public Broadcaster Yle.

Source: The Nordic Times