Finland ranked happiest country in the world for the ninth year while HK lags at 90th behind China

Finland has been named the happiest country in the world for the ninth consecutive year, according to the World Happiness Report 2026 released Thursday. Hong Kong ranked 90th out of 147 countries, trailing China, which placed 65th.

Finland led the list with an average life-satisfaction score of 7.764. Iceland and Denmark followed in second and third place. Costa Rica rose notably to fourth—the highest-ever ranking for a Latin American country.

Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands ranked fifth to seventh, respectively. Israel placed eighth, the only Middle Eastern country to enter the top 20. Luxembourg and Switzerland completed the top 10.

Among Asian entries, Taiwan ranked highest at 26th.

The report highlighted a sharp decline in youth well‑being linked to heavy social media use. Over the past decade, life‑satisfaction scores (on a 0–10 scale) for respondents under 25 fell by nearly one point in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Researchers singled out algorithm-driven, visually focused platforms that promote influencer culture as particularly harmful, because they encourage social comparison. By contrast, platforms that primarily facilitate communication scored better.

Experts stressed that social media’s impact depends on how it is used: when employed to maintain contact with family and friends or to learn new skills, healthier online habits and better outcomes for young people are more likely.