2026 · World Happiness Report · Cantril ladder 0–10 · Gallup 2023-2025 average · {{count}} countries
Happiness index (World Happiness Report 2026) — each surveyed person places their own life on a "Cantril ladder" from 0 (worst possible life) to 10 (best possible life). The published score is the average of the three 2023-2024-2025 Gallup World Poll waves, hence a static indicator rather than an annual series.
World Happiness Report 2026, full ranking of 147 countries compiled by the Happier Lives Institute. The official rank is shown on click, not as a colour fill: a rank is ordinal, so it carries little information as a shade.
A scale of perceived well-being, not a pure wealth indicator: several countries with modest GDP per capita (Costa Rica) outrank far richer economies.
Finland (7.76) tops the ranking, ahead of Iceland and Denmark — Nordic countries have dominated this ranking since it began, driven by high social trust and low inequality rather than living standards alone. Afghanistan (1.45) sits far behind every other country, a score reflecting decades of war and the collapse of freedoms since 2021.