The 2026 World Happiness Report highlights Nordic countries as the world’s happiest, even as researchers warn about the growing impact of social media on global wellbeing, Gallup shows. 

Finland again ranks first, followed by Iceland, Denmark and Costa Rica, with Sweden and Norway rounding out the top six. The report finds nearly twice as many countries have gained happiness since 2006–2010 than those that have declined, though many Western nations have seen drops over that period.

Researchers say youth wellbeing has improved globally but declined in Western regions, including North America and parts of Europe. Nordic countries remain outliers, maintaining high life satisfaction despite broader regional trends.

The United States ranked 23rd, while our neighbor Mexico ranked 12th and Canada took 25th.

The report also finds life satisfaction is highest at low levels of social media use and declines with heavy use. Activities like communication and learning are linked to higher wellbeing, while social media and passive browsing are associated with lower life evaluations, especially among younger users.

See the full report at Gallup.