Happiest country in the world thanks to the popular sport sauna? – The World Happiness Report 2026 names Finland the happiest country in the world. (symbol image) Image: Shutterstock
Once again, Finland is the country with the happiest people in the world. Switzerland can move up a few places. Excessive social media consumption can make you unhappy, according to the report. Here you will find everything you need to know.
Mar 19, 2026, 10:31 amMar 19, 2026, 10:31 am
The Finns are the happiest people in the world for the 9th time in a row. At least that’s what he says World Happiness Report 2026which was published by an interdisciplinary team of researchers at the Wellbeing Research Center at Oxford University.
Iceland, Denmark, Costa Rica and Sweden follow in second to fifth place. This means that four Nordic countries make it into the top five. Switzerland moved up from last year’s 13th place to tenth – behind Norway, the Netherlands, Israel and Luxembourg.
What makes Finns so happy?
As report author Jan-Emmanuel De Neve explains, Finns are not fixated on having to be happy. They are not obsessed with necessarily wanting to be happy and are grateful for what they have and don’t take themselves too seriously. This helps them to appreciate the little things in life.
According to De Neve, the fact that Nordic countries are generally so happy every year is mainly due to their great wealth and the fact that they distribute it very fairly. The high life expectancy, good access to health care and a strong social network, i.e. trust in each other and the state, also make the Nordic states the happiest in the world.
With reference to Finland, study author De Neve recommends going into nature. “Almost everyone has a hut or a house in the forest, people go cherry picking or mushroom picking – there is this deep, instinctive connection to nature.” The sauna is also part of it – a place where Finns share secrets, seal deals or chat.
How happy is the Swiss population?
After the Swiss population became increasingly unhappy in international comparison over the last five years, they were able to gain three places in this year’s report. Last year it was one of the biggest losers on the rankings, along with Canada and the USA. Since it even reached number 1 in 2015, things have been going almost exclusively downwards. Here is an overview of the last ten years.
The influence of social media
The authors dedicated a separate chapter to the influence of social media. Because in North America and Western Europe, young people are much less happy than they were 15 years ago. This development is attributed by many to the proliferation of social media. However, the trend does not apply in all regions of the world.
According to the authors, moderate social media use (less than an hour per day) is optimal. Anything beyond that is accompanied by a decline in well-being. Girls are more affected by this effect than boys. However, the type of platforms plays an important role. Social media platforms that promote algorithmically curated content from influencers have a more negative impact on young people’s well-being than those that promote social contact. (Nile)