For the ninth year in a row, Finland has won the title of happiest country in the world according to the World Happiness Report 2026, developed by the Wellbeing Research Center of the University of Oxford. A domain that seems almost impossible to scratch.
The research involved interviewees in 147 nations, asked to evaluate their quality of life on multiple fronts: from health to education, from perceived freedom to trust in institutions. The Finns achieved an average score of 7.76 out of 10, compared to 6.57 for Italy.
Finnish success is not accidental: it has its roots in a social model based on collective well-being, on a deep relationship with nature and on values such as mutual trust and inner resilience – what in Finnish is called sisu. Added to this is the concept of fluxingan open approach to life, without shame in asking for support when needed.
The podium and the top 10 see Iceland and Denmark immediately after Finland, confirming Northern European dominance. The most interesting news is Costa Rica’s fourth place, the best result ever for a Latin American country. Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Israel, Luxembourg and Switzerland complete the ranking. No English-speaking countries in the top ten.
Italy stops in 38th place, penalized by geopolitical instability and international tensions. In last place, 147th, is Afghanistan with a score of just 1.4.
The crisis of happiness among young people deserves a separate chapter, already highlighted as an alarming trend in the previous edition. Prolonged use of social media — over seven hours a day according to the PISA study conducted on adolescents from 47 countries — is associated with significantly lower levels of well-being. The obsessive comparison with the “perfect” lives of others, the isolation from the real world and the reduction of time dedicated to physical activities and authentic relationships are eroding the well-being of the new generations. Digital progress should not be demonized, but governed with greater awareness.
The complete ranking
- Finland
- Iceland
- Denmark
- Costa Rica
- Sweden
- Norway
- Netherlands
- Israel
- Luxembourg
- Swiss
