Heavy social media use contributes to a stark decline in well-being among young people, the report said – Image: Zacharie Scheurer/dpa-tmn/picture alliance
The 2026 World Happiness Report found that life satisfaction among those under 25 in some English-speaking countries has fallen sharply over the past decade. Finland was once again the happiest country.
Finland once again showed the world the path to happiness even as heavy social media usage eroded personal well-being among young people across the planet, the World Happiness Report 2026 said on Thursday.
The report, produced by the University of Oxford’s Wellbeing Research Centre in partnership with Gallup and the United Nations, found life satisfaction among under-25s in countries including the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand has fallen sharply over the past decade.
The study is based on surveys of around 100,000 people across 140 countries.
Some young people prefer if no one used social media
The report said that heavy social media use is linked to declining well-being among young people, particularly teenage girls in English-speaking and Western European countries.
The findings come as governments increasingly consider restrictions on social media use by minors.
Researchers said extensive social media use, especially more than seven hours per day, is associated with lower well-being, with algorithm-driven, image-focused platforms and influencer content cited as key factors.
The report said most US college students wish social media platforms did not exist.
“They use them because others are using them, but they would prefer it if no one did,” the report said.
However, those who used social media for less than an hour a day were more likely to report higher well-being than those who did not use social media at all.
Finland ranked as the world’s happiest country for a ninth consecutive year [FILE: November 2017] – Image: Vesa Moilanen/Lehtikuva/dpa/picture alliance
Finland tops happiness index
World Happiness Report 2026 rankings:
Top 10:
- Finland
- Iceland
- Denmark
- Costa Rica
- Sweden
- Norway
- Netherlands
- Israel
- Luxembourg
- Switzerland
Notable entries:
- 11. New Zealand
- 15. Australia
- 17. Germany
- 23. United States of America
- 65. China
- 97. Iran
- 104. Pakistan
- 106. Nigeria
- 116. India
The least happy countries in the world, according to the report:
- 147. Afghanistan
- 146. Sierra Leone
- 145. Malawi
- 144. Zimbabwe
- 143. Botswana
Finland ranked as the world’s happiest country for a ninth consecutive year, with Nordic nations dominating the top rankings.
The report attributed the Nordic dominance to wealth, equality, strong welfare systems and high life expectancy.
Costa Rica rose to fourth place, attributed to strong social and family ties.
Afghanistan remained the lowest-ranked country, along with Sierra Leone and Malawi.
DW.com/NAN 20-3-26
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