Cyprus has fallen to 62nd place out of 147 countries in the 2026 World Happiness Report, continuing a decline that has seen the country drop steadily from 39th place in 2019, through 43rd in 2023 and 50th in 2024.
The report is compiled by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford and published as part of the annual World Happiness Report.
Finland leads for the ninth year running
Finland topped the ranking for the ninth consecutive year, followed by Iceland and Denmark. Costa Rica came fourth — the highest ranking ever recorded for a Latin American country — with Sweden fifth and Norway sixth. The Netherlands ranked seventh, Israel eighth, Luxembourg ninth, and Switzerland tenth.
Israel, the only Middle Eastern country in the top 20, ranked eighth despite its involvement in ongoing conflict in the region.
The United States came 23rd, Canada 25th, and the United Kingdom 29th. This is the second consecutive year in which none of the major English-speaking nations — the US, New Zealand, Ireland, Australia, Canada, or the UK — has appeared in the top ten.
How happiness is measured
Researchers examine factors including GDP per capita, life expectancy, generosity, and perceptions of freedom and corruption to help explain variations between countries.
John F. Helliwell, emeritus professor of economics at the University of British Columbia and a founding editor of the World Happiness Report, said Finland’s sustained commitment to cooperation explains its continued place at the top.
“Successful societies work together in the face of adversity,” he said in an interview. “The Finns know this. And once you have the sense that you’re in something difficult together, there’s no end to what you can do.”
The least happy countries
At the bottom of the ranking, Afghanistan placed last at 147th, followed by Sierra Leone at 146th, Malawi at 145th, Zimbabwe at 144th, and Botswana at 143rd.