World Happiness Report says social media is making us miserable

Finland once again showed the world the path to happiness even as heavy social media usage eroded personal well-being among young people across the planet, the World Happiness Report 2026 said on Thursday.

The report, produced by the University of Oxford‍‍`s Wellbeing Research Centre in partnership with Gallup and the United Nations, found life satisfaction among under-25s in countries including the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand has fallen sharply over the past decade.The study is based on surveys of around 100,000 people across 140 countries.

Some young people prefer if no one used social media

The report said that heavy social media use is linked to declining well-being among young people, particularly teenage girls in English-speaking and Western European countries.

The findings come as governments increasingly consider restrictions on social media use by minors.

Researchers said extensive social media use, especially more than seven hours per day, is associated with lower well-being, with algorithm-driven, image-focused platforms and influencer content cited as key factors.

The report said most US college students wish social media platforms did not exist.

"They use them because others are using them, but they would prefer it if no one did," the report said.

However, those who used social media for less than an hour a day were more likely to report higher well-being than those who did not use social media at all.

World Happiness Report 2026 rankings:

Top 10:

Finland

Iceland

Denmark

Costa Rica

Sweden

Norway

Netherlands

Israel

Luxembourg

Switzerland

Notable entries:

17. Germany

23. United States of America

65. China

97. Iran

104. Pakistan

106. Nigeria

116. India

The least happy countries in the world, according to the report:

147. Afghanistan

146. Sierra Leone

145. Malawi

144. Zimbabwe

143. Botswana

Finland ranked as the world‍‍`s happiest country for a ninth consecutive year, with Nordic nations dominating the top rankings.

The report attributed the Nordic dominance to wealth, equality, strong welfare systems and high life expectancy.

Costa Rica rose to fourth place, attributed to strong social and family ties.

Afghanistan remained the lowest-ranked country, along with Sierra Leone and Malawi.