Finland has ranked as the world's happiest country for the ninth consecutive year in the World Happiness Report 2026, while Thailand dropped from 49th to 52nd place. The report, released by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford on March 19, highlighted that the top three countries were Finland, Iceland, and Denmark. Costa Rica saw significant improvement, climbing to fourth place, the highest among Latin American nations.
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Sweden, Norway, and the Netherlands were ranked fifth, sixth, and seventh, respectively. Israel, Luxembourg, and Switzerland followed, securing the eighth, ninth, and tenth positions. The United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom were ranked 23rd, 25th, and 29th, respectively, with Thailand falling to 52nd.
The report's rankings are derived from Gallup World Poll responses in 147 countries, using the Cantril ladder scale, where participants rate their lives from 0 to 10. This analysis considers GDP per capita, life expectancy, generosity, and perceptions of freedom and corruption, using a three-year average to smooth out disturbances from global events.
The average life satisfaction score for Finland was reported at 7.764. This year’s report emphasized the impact of social media on happiness, especially among people under 25. The findings indicate that the influence of internet use varies across generations, showing a negative correlation for Gen Z, moderate for millennials, neutral for Gen X, and slightly positive for baby boomers.
Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, director of Oxford’s Wellbeing Research Centre, explained that social media's impact on wellbeing is contingent upon several factors, including the platforms used and the frequency and intent of usage. While excessive use harms wellbeing, avoiding social media altogether might result in missing certain benefits. He suggested enhancing the social aspects of social media usage to improve wellbeing.
In January, Bangkok was celebrated as the third best city to visit worldwide in The New York Times’ "52 Places to Go in 2026" for its green spaces and vibrant art scene. Separately, Thailand was named the best country for food by Condé Nast Traveller, surpassing Italy and Japan, reported The Thaiger.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now · The Thaiger · 20 Mar 2026
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