US EditionWorld Happiness Report highlights social media’s negative impact, ranks Finland as happiest country
Finland ranks happiest for the ninth consecutive year due to strong welfare and social trust; heavy social media use linked to declining youth wellbeing, especially among teenage girls in the West.
- On March 19, 2026, the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford published the World Happiness Report, ranking Finland as the happiest country for the ninth year with a score of 7.764.
- Researchers said algorithmic feeds and influencer-driven platforms fuel social comparisons, adolescents spend 2.5 hours daily on social media, and causes vary by region, gender, and socio-economic status.
- Evidence indicates life evaluations among under‑25s in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand dropped by almost one full point, with Jan‑Emmanuel De Neve saying 'Heavy usage is associated with much lower wellbeing, but those deliberately off social media also appear to be missing out on some positive effects.'
- Policy-Makers elsewhere are considering social media restrictions as Australia last year introduced the world’s first ban for under 16s, with Denmark, France, and Spain planning similar limits.
- Nordic dominance persists as Iceland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway lead while Costa Rica climbed to fourth, based on around 100,000 responses across 147 countries averaged over three years.
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Which countries are happiest? World Happiness Report releases 2026 rankings
The latest World Happiness Report 2026 says that heavy social media use has contributed to a stark decline in well-being among young people. Here's which country is considered happiest.
Helena Independent Record
World Happiness Report highlights social media's negative impact, ranks Finland as happiest
The latest World Happiness Report 2026 says that heavy social media use has contributed to a stark decline in well-being among young people.
World Happiness Report ranks Finland as happiest country
HELSINKI — Heavy social media use contributes to a stark decline in well-being among young people, with the effects particularly worrying in teenage girls in English-speaking countries and Western Europe, according to the World Happiness Report 2026 published Thursday.
Anyone who reads the World Happiness Report as a list of the most cheerful nations is wrong, because the report measures less private happiness than the quality of social relations.
The annual report on happiness published this Thursday under the auspices of the United Nations once again placed Finland at the top of this ranking.
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