Finland has once again been named the world’s happiest country, securing the top spot for the ninth consecutive time in the 2026 global happiness rankings released by Oxford University’s Wellbeing Research Centre.
The annual list, published around International Day of Happiness, assessed 147 countries. The study considered factors such as social support, health, freedom, generosity, public perceptions of corruption and gross domestic product, based on people’s responses.
Finland scored 7.76 out of 10 to lead the table. India was placed 116th this year, improving by two positions from 118th in 2025.
The top 25 countries include Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Costa Rica, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Israel, Luxembourg and Switzerland in the top 10. Switzerland returned to the top 10 at No.10 after dropping out last year.
The report also noted steady gains for countries such as Kosovo (16th), Slovenia (18th) and Czechia (20th). Among the 10 least happy countries mentioned were Afghanistan, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lebanon, Egypt and Tanzania.
