Finland tops the list for the 9th consecutive year

The most profound and negative impact of the digital world is visible on 15 year old girls.- Symbolic photo

There is a saying in Finland…’Speaking is silver, but silence is gold.’ This country that loves solitude and peace may not seem like the happiest place in the world, but Finland has won the ‘World Happiness Report’ of 2026 for the 9th time in a row.

The report has been released by the Wellbeing Research Center of Oxford University. This report has been prepared on the basis of the study of Gallup and UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

India is at 116th position in the list of 147 countries. According to this, the major reasons for decreasing happiness are economic insecurity, digital loneliness and lack of social support. The ‘culture of showmanship’ on social media is destroying real human connection. Lack of company of loved ones is further reducing mental peace, uncertainty about the future is also a big reason.

So know the reason for happiness

Countries like Norway, Sweden and Iceland are in the top-10. Equal prosperity, excellent health services and a strong government safety net. The gap between rich and poor is less here, which keeps people smiling even in difficult times like recession.

And the reason for depression

The most worrying thing is that the decline in happiness is most visible among youth under 25 years of age. While youth in the rest of the world are satisfied with life, the happiness graph of teenagers in rich countries like America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand has fallen rapidly. Researchers hold smartphones and social media responsible for this. But the story is not so simple… Julie Ray, managing editor of World News at Gallup, says the real problem is a lack of ‘social companionship’. When youth do not feel connected to their loved ones, they take refuge in screens to overcome loneliness. Unfortunately, this digital dependence on social media deepens their sadness instead of increasing their happiness.

More impact on teenage girls

The most profound and negative impact of the digital world is visible on 15 year old girls. Girls who spend more than 5 hours on social media are the least satisfied with life. After watching the reels of ‘Influencer Culture’ and ‘Perfect Life’, their feeling of inferiority and comparative stress is increasing. ‘Viewing’ content on social media is mentally pushing them towards sadness and loneliness, due to which their real smile is fading.

Top-10 happy countries

None of America, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are in the top-10 in the ranking.

1.Finland

2. Iceland 3. Denmark

4. Costa Rica 5. Sweden

6.Norway 7.Netherlands

8. Israel 9. Luxembourg

10. Switzerland

Now let’s talk about the level of happiness in India

The picture of India in the latest report shows both hope and challenge. The situation is continuously improving compared to 2024 (126) and 2025 (118). Behind this ‘slow but sure’ progress of India is the strong family structure and social fabric, which becomes a protective shield in difficult times. However, we lag behind neighboring countries China (65), Nepal (99) and Pakistan (104). India is ranked 22nd out of 29 countries in Ipsos’ Happiness Survey. Last year it was at 7th. According to both reports, the biggest reasons for declining happiness are ‘economic insecurity’ and ‘social media pressure’. The increasing comparative sentiment on social media is reducing the mental peace of Indians.

Struggling with war, but did not let happiness diminish: Despite the war, Israel is in 5th place. According to experts, ‘social solidarity’ and ‘family support’ are very strong in Israel, which provides mental strength in times of crisis. Despite the war, there is a sense of ‘common purpose’ in Ukraine (105th) and moderate stability in Russia (72nd), which has kept either ranking from falling significantly.

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