Canada now ranks 25th out of 147 countries in the 2026 World Happiness Report, which measures how people view their quality of life. The latest results place Canada just below the United States and between Poland and Taiwan.
The report came out on March 19 and draws on research from global organizations that study well-being and quality of life.
Canada’s position has dropped compared to recent years. In 2025, the country held the 18th spot. This year’s result shows a noticeable decline.
Despite this drop, Canada still ranks higher than several major countries. It stands ahead of the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Spain.
Canada earned a life evaluation score of 6.741, which reflects how people rate their overall life satisfaction.
Looking back over recent years, Canada’s ranking has moved up and down. It placed 11th in 2020, then gradually slipped, with small improvements along the way, before reaching its current position.
Canada is not alone in this shift. Other countries such as the United States, Australia, and New Zealand have also seen a drop in rankings.
The report points to changing views among young people as one reason. People under 25 now report lower levels of happiness compared to previous years.
Researchers also explored how increased screen time and social media use may affect how young people feel about their lives.
Finland once again holds the top spot as the happiest country in the world. It has kept this position for nine years in a row.
Other Nordic countries continue to perform well, including Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. These countries often rank high due to strong social systems and high living standards.
Costa Rica stands out this year by reaching fourth place, marking the highest ranking ever for a country from Latin America.
At the lower end of the list, countries such as Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka rank much lower. Afghanistan sits at the bottom of the list.
The report bases its findings on surveys from people living in each country. Participants rate their lives on a scale from 0 to 10, with 0 meaning the worst possible life and 10 meaning the best.
Researchers collect about 1,000 responses from each country each year. They then calculate an average score based on results from 2023 to 2025.
Several factors help explain the results. These include income levels, access to support from others, life expectancy, personal freedom, generosity, and views on corruption.
These factors do not directly decide the rankings but help explain why some countries score higher than others.
Even with the drop, Canada remains among the top 25 happiest countries in the world. It also stays one of the highest-ranked countries in North America.
The results highlight both Canada’s strengths and the challenges it faces, especially among younger people.
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