Canada’s Position Slips in Global Happiness Rankings
The 2026 World Happiness Report shows Canada declining to 25th place worldwide, down from 18th the previous year. This positions the country well below leaders like Finland and Denmark but ahead of nations such as Malawi, Sierra Leone, and Afghanistan at the bottom of the 147-country list.
The report, produced by the University of Oxford’s Wellbeing Research Centre alongside Gallup, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and its Editorial Board, highlights social media as a key factor impacting happiness levels.
Social Media’s Toll on Young People
In North America and Western Europe, young people report significantly lower happiness compared to 15 years ago, coinciding with a surge in social media usage. Analysis confirms that adolescents spending over seven hours daily on social media experience notably poorer well-being than those using it less than one hour.
Among U.S. college students surveyed, most expressed a desire for social media platforms to not exist, noting they participate mainly because others do.
Platform Types Matter
Data from Latin America indicates that platforms fostering genuine social connections correlate positively with happiness. In contrast, those relying on algorithm-driven content show negative effects at high usage levels.
The report concludes that heavy social media users face heightened risks, particularly in English-speaking countries and Western Europe. Evidence suggests this usage pattern contributes substantially to declining happiness in affected regions.
Concerns for Children and Adolescents
Social media poses safety risks for children and adolescents, drawing from surveys of youth, parents, teachers, and clinicians, as well as corporate documents, studies, and reduction experiments. The report poses the question: “Is social media use reasonably safe for children and adolescents?” and answers firmly: no.
Australia recently raised the minimum age for 10 social media platforms to 16 from 13. Denmark, France, and Spain are considering comparable measures. Policymakers can draw on this evidence to evaluate such regulations.
Top Rankings and Measurement Method
The top 10 happiest countries are Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Costa Rica, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, Israel, Luxembourg, and Switzerland. Canada ranks after Saudi Arabia, the United States, and Poland, but ahead of Taiwan, Belize, Lithuania, and the U.K.
Happiness rankings rely on the Cantril Ladder, a single question: “Please imagine a ladder with steps numbered from 0 at the bottom to 10 at the top. The top represents the best possible life for you, the bottom the worst. On which step do you currently stand?” This approach allows individuals across cultures to assess their own life satisfaction democratically.
