World Happiness Report 2026 shows a complex global picture of social media and happiness
The annual report is out, and it’s again a story of Nordic domination, with Finland (#1 for the 9th year in a row), Iceland, Denmark, Costa Rica and Sweden ranking as the five happiest countries. Costa Rica at #4 climbed to its highest ever position (it was 23rd in 2023) and there were also positive gains for countries such as Kosovo (16th), Slovenia (18th) and Czechia (20th) underlining the convergence of happiness levels between Central and Eastern Europe, and Western Europe. The US ranked 23rd. A key finding: heavy social media use appears to be contributing to the significant drop in wellbeing among young people in English-speaking countries and Western Europe, especially among girls. Happiness levels among people under 25 in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have dropped dramatically over the past decade.
Full report: https://www.worldhappiness.report/
The health of nations: Stronger health, stronger economies–McKinsey Health Institute
The world faces a choice: by 2050, the average person could either spend three more years in poor health than in 2000 or gain nearly a decade of healthy life if society scales access to proven, cost-effective interventions. Nearly two-thirds of this impact would come from preventive interventions. Today, most countries spend less than 2% of their health budgets on prevention. Scaling proven interventions could create $12.5 trillion in annual economic value by 2050, equal to about 7% of global GDP, a fourfold return on investment.
‘Massive boost of serotonin!’: How a dose of nature is treating mental illness–The Guardian
Dose of Nature, a London-based project, differs from other nature prescribing programs by having clients referred directly by their GPs. It’s already delivered 1,500 one-to-one courses and is outperforming standard NHS talking therapies, boasting a recovery rate of 64% compared with the health service’s 50%. They report that their nature prescription program is a genuine alternative to medication and traditional psychological therapies.
How a healthy mindset influences longevity––The New York Times
A few qualities, including a sense of purpose, seem to have incredibly powerful benefits, especially as you age. Much has been written about how physical behaviors, like exercise, diet and sleep, contribute to a long and healthy life. But research suggests that a positive mindset—including optimism and a sense of purpose—powerfully benefits your longevity, too.
A Striking Stat: Anglophone Unhappiness
No English-speaking countries appear in the top ten happiest countries in the world—New Zealand (11th), Ireland (13th), Australia (15th), US (23rd), Canada (25th) and the UK (29th)—with only half of them appearing in the top 20.
Source: ‘2026 World Happiness Report’ from Gallup
