Finland Tops 2026 Happiness Ranking for 9th Year as Costa Rica Reaches No. 4

3 articles · Updated · Worldatlas.com · Jul 5

Finland again ranked the world's happiest country in the 2026 World Happiness Report, scoring about 7.8 and extending its streak to nine years.
More than 140 countries were ranked using three-year averages of self-rated life scores, alongside factors including GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom, generosity and perceived corruption.
Costa Rica climbed to fourth—the highest ever for a Latin American country—while becoming the least wealthy nation in the top 10, a shift the report ties to strong social bonds, health and education gains.
No English-speaking country made the top 10 for the first time, as Canada, Australia and the United States slipped amid weaker wellbeing among young people and heavy social-media use.
The top 10 remained dominated by high-trust welfare states, with Nordic countries holding five spots and the report again highlighting trust and social connection over income alone.