Which are the happiest countries in 2026? Costa Rica surprises in the new world ranking

Global happiness continues to have a Nordic laugh. The 2026 World Happiness Report, prepared by the Center for the Study of Well-being at Oxford University, once again places Finland in first place for the ninth consecutive year, with a score of 7.76 out of 10. Iceland (7.54) and Denmark (7.53) complete the podium, consolidating a model based on high levels of institutional trust, solid social support networks, and robust public services. Read more: The fall of happiness in Colombia The list of the 10 happiest countries in the world was as follows: 1. Finland 2. Iceland 3. Denmark 4. Costa Rica 5. Sweden 6. Norway 7. Netherlands 8. Israel 9. Luxembourg 10. Switzerland Beyond economic income, the report insists on six key variables to qualify world happiness, such as social support, GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, individual freedom, generosity, and low perception of corruption. Furthermore, the data show a double trend in the world: while many countries have achieved significant gains in happiness since 2006, Western industrial powers are facing a worrying decline in the well-being of their younger citizens. However, the report warns of a convergence in happiness levels within Europe. On the one hand, Central and Eastern European countries have experienced the greatest advances in the last decade, with Serbia, Bulgaria, and Latvia at the forefront; but Western European nations have registered falls in their life evaluation. Costa Rica leads in Latin America and breaks the historical ceiling The big surprise of 2026 comes from Central America. Costa Rica climbed to fourth place globally, the highest position ever achieved by a Latin American country in the history of the ranking. With 7.43 points, the country not only surpassed developed economies but also consolidated a well-being model supported by community, freedom of choice, and contact with nature. Even adverse factors like insecurity did not stop its progress. Mexico also made a relevant leap, ranking 12th, above countries like Canada and Australia, confirming a regional trend based on the weight of the social fabric. In the 2026 World Happiness Report, Colombia is ranked 68th globally, with an average life evaluation of 6,040 points. Despite structural challenges, Colombia follows the trend of Latin America, where reported well-being levels are consistently higher than predicted by economic models, thanks to the robustness of its social and family ties. A notable fact is that Colombia shows one of the strongest links in the region between the use of social connection networks (like WhatsApp and Facebook) and life satisfaction, with a positive coefficient of 0.143, surpassing most of its neighbors in this indicator. These results suggest that, in the Colombian context, technology acts as a well-being enhancer when used to maintain and deepen existing personal bonds. Read more: Costa Rica joins the right axis and looks towards the Salvadoran model Furthermore, the report attributes this phenomenon to the strong family and social support networks in the region, which act as a buffer against economic difficulties. Interestingly, according to the report, Latin America combines high levels of social media use with high youth well-being, challenging the negative trend observed on other continents. Here's how Latin America performed in the 2026 happiness ranking The performance of Latin America shows contrasts. Although there are outstanding cases, the region remains far from the global top spots. These are the main results: - Costa Rica (4) – 7.43 points - Mexico (12) – 6.97 points - Uruguay (top 30) – 6.63 points - Brazil (top 30) – 6.63 points - El Salvador (37) – 6.57 points - Panama (39) – 6.54 points - Guatemala (42) – 6.53 points - Argentina (44) – 6.43 points - Chile (50) – 6.30 points - Paraguay (57) – 6.19 points - Ecuador (59) – 6.14 points - Honduras (63) – 6.09 points - Colombia (68) – 6.04 points - Peru (72) – 5.97 points - Bolivia (78) – 5.83 points - Venezuela (80) – 5.75 points According to the report, the Colombian case reflects a lag in structural variables such as institutional trust and perception of well-being, despite maintaining intermediate levels in the region. Read more: Colombia is already far from being the happiest country in the world, who dethroned it? Technology and happiness: the new focus of the 2026 report The 2026 report delves into how the design of digital platforms affects the well-being economy. Not all social networks impact equally. For example, social connection platforms, applications like WhatsApp and Facebook, show positive associations with happiness in regions like Latin America, as they facilitate direct communication. On the other hand, algorithmic content platforms, applications like TikTok and Instagram, are linked to higher levels of depression and anxiety, especially in girls and adolescents who spend more than five hours daily on them. The study introduces the concept of "product trap," meaning many university students in the U.S. declare they would prefer Instagram or TikTok not to exist, but continue using them because their peers do, creating a negative externality for non-users. Given this evidence, the report highlights that governments like Australia's have already taken legislative measures to raise the minimum age for social media access to 16, a trend that countries like Spain and France are seriously considering to protect the human capital of the future. Mental health crisis in the United States and English-speaking countries The most alarming data from the report is the drastic drop in happiness among those under 25 in the NANZ region (United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand). In the United States, young people's life satisfaction has fallen by almost a full point on a scale of 0 to 10 since 2012, placing the country at 23rd in the overall ranking. Experts associate this decline with the rapid adoption of smartphones and intensive use of digital platforms. In these countries, negative emotions such as sadness and worry have significantly increased among Generation Z, even surpassing the levels reported by "Baby Boomers." Also: Colombians are happy, but very distrustful according to the World Values Survey