HELSINKI (AP) — Heavy social media use contributes to a stark decline in well-being among young people, with the effects particularly worrying in teenage girls in English-speaking countries and Western Europe, according to the World Happiness Report 2026 published Thursday.
The annual report, published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, also found that Finland is the happiest land in the world for the ninth year in a row, with other Nordic countries such as Iceland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway ranking among the top 10 countries.
It highlighted how life evaluations among under 25-year-olds in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have dropped significantly over the past decade, and suggested that long hours spent scrolling through social media is a key factor in that trend.
Costa Rica jumps to 4th place; Nordic countries stay on top
A new entry to the top five on the list is Costa Rica, which climbed to fourth place this year after rising through the ranks from 23rd place in 2023.
The report attributes that to well-being boosts from family bonds and other social connections.
“We think it’s because of the quality of their social lives and the stability that they currently enjoy,” said Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, an Oxford economics professor who directs the Wellbeing Research Centre and co-edits the World Happiness Report.
“Latin America more generally has strong family ties, strong social ties, a great level of social capital, as a sociologist would call it, more so than in other places,” he added.
The sun sets in San Jose, Costa Rica, Aug. 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo, File)
The sun sets in San Jose, Costa Rica, Aug. 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo, File)
The report said Finland and the other Northern European countries’ steady ranking on top is related to a combination of wealth, its equal distribution, having a welfare state that protects people from the risks of recessions, and a healthy life expectancy.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb reacted Thursday to his country being in first place again, saying: “I do not think there is a magic potion, but it helps to have a society which strives towards freedom, equality and justice.”
Semi Salmi, a pensioner who was out for a swim at a pool with cold sea water in Helsinki, echoed that sentiment. “Finns are very content, confident, have faith in their system, their country, their government,” he said.
He also stressed the advantage of having access to good health care. “My father is now in a long-term care and he’s extremely well taken care of by the system,” he said.
Outdoor swimming pools are seen in a harbor of Helsinki, May 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, File)
Outdoor swimming pools are seen in a harbor of Helsinki, May 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, File)
As in previous years,