The happiest countries in the world for 2026 have just been revealed

"This research, released on Thursday 19 March 2026 (the day before World Happiness Day), is based on a three-year average of each population's assessment of their quality of life. It takes into account six key factors that impact happiness: social support, income, health, freedom, generosity, and the absence of corruption."

"One of the biggest takeaways from the 2026 report is the fact that social media use is contributing to a "drop in wellbeing among young people in English-speaking countries" - particularly in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and especially among girls."

"It also investigates the distribution of happiness within countries (spoiler alert: countries where the "happiness gap" is smaller - where the population has a similar experience of and access to the six factors listed above - tend to be happier overall)."

The UN released its 2026 World Happiness Report on March 19, 2026, ranking countries based on three-year averages of population quality-of-life assessments. The report evaluates six key factors affecting happiness: social support, income, health, freedom, generosity, and absence of corruption. It also examines happiness distribution within countries, finding that nations with smaller happiness gaps—where populations have similar access to these factors—report higher overall happiness. A significant finding reveals that social media use correlates with decreased well-being among young people in English-speaking countries, particularly affecting girls in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. However, moderate social media use of less than one hour daily shows higher well-being than no use.

Read at CN Traveller