HELSINKI\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Heavy 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.<\/p>\n
The annual report, published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, also found that Finland is the happiest land in the world for the ninth year in a row, with other Nordic countries such as Iceland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway ranking among the top 10 countries.<\/p>\n
It highlighted how life evaluations among those under 25 in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have dropped significantly over the past decade, and suggested that long hours spent scrolling through social media is a key factor in that trend.<\/p>\n
Costa Rica jumps to 4th place; Nordic countries stay on top<\/p>\n
A new entry to the top five on the list is Costa Rica, which climbed to fourth place this year after rising through the ranks from 23rd place in 2023. <\/p>\n
The report attributes that to well-being boosts from family bonds and other social connections.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe think it\u2019s because of the quality of their social lives and the stability that they currently enjoy,\u201d said Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, an Oxford economics professor who directs the Wellbeing Research Centre and co-edits the World Happiness Report.<\/p>\n
\u201cLatin America more generally has strong family ties, strong social ties, a great level of social capital, as a sociologist would call it, more so than in other places,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
The report said Finland and the other Northern European countries\u2019 steady ranking on top is related to a combination of wealth, its equal distribution, having a welfare state that protects people from the risks of recessions, and a healthy life expectancy.<\/p>\n
Finnish President Alexander Stubb reacted Thursday to his country being in first place again, saying: \u201cI do not think there is a magic potion, but it helps to have a society which strives towards freedom, equality and justice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Semi Salmi, a pensioner who was out for a swim at a pool with cold sea water in Helsinki, echoed that sentiment. \u201cFinns are very content, confident, have faith in their system, their country, their government,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He also stressed the advantage of having access to good healthcare. \u201cMy father is now in a long-term care and he\u2019s extremely well taken care of by the system,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
As in previous years, nations in or near zones of major conflict remain at the foot of the rankings. Afghanistan is ranked as the unhappiest country again, followed by Sierra Leone and Malawi in Africa.<\/p>\n