World Happiness Report 2026: Finland is happiest – but Canada plummets and Sweden slips
Here we go again. This year's edition of the World Happiness Report has landed, and as usual, it's the Finns who have the most reason to smile. For the seventh year running, Finland is crowned the world's happiest country. The Nordics dominate the top spots as always – but back home here in Sweden, we're seeing a slight dip. We've slipped down a few notches, even though we're still miles ahead of most.
But it's not our neighbours to the east making the headlines this year. Instead, cast your gaze westwards, across the Atlantic. Canada, long seen as one of the most harmonious countries, is tumbling down the rankings. The country lands in 25th place out of 147 nations, which sounds okay until you look back in time – since 2013, Canada has plummeted a staggering 19 places. The question is, what's going on in the land of maple leaves and politeness?
Canada's crisis – from dream to nightmare?
I've followed these reports for a long time and can't recall such a dramatic fall for any Western country. To understand why, you probably have to look at the bigger picture. It's not just one thing, but a puzzle of political turbulence and everyday problems. Here are a few pieces that many Canadians themselves are pointing to:
- The housing crisis in major cities: Buying a home in Toronto or Vancouver is a pipe dream for young people. Even the Prime Minister's official residence, Rideau Cottage, has been described as "inadequate" for a premier. When those in power don't even have decent housing, it's easy for people to lose hope.
- The cost of running a car in Toronto: A new report shows Toronto is now one of the world's toughest cities to justify owning a car. Between insurance, parking, and petrol, the car swallows a huge chunk of your salary – and without viable alternatives, daily life becomes a constant stressor.
- Political cynicism: There's a heated debate going on in Ontario right now. Critics, including Tim Hudak who recently pointed out in a morning commentary, argue that Premier Doug Ford is "flooding the zone" – that is, drowning the news cycle with a load of other stuff to distract from a transparency scandal. When people feel politicians aren't being straight with them, trust erodes, and trust is a key ingredient for happiness.
Jeffrey Sachs warns of the price of negativity
The report's co-founder, Jeffrey Sachs, often highlights the importance of social bonds. This year, he's also commented on another aspect: the impact of negative people. Research featured in the report shows that negative people in your circle can actually make you age faster. It's about the stress, the worry, and that nagging feeling of always being on edge. Perhaps that's exactly the feeling spreading through Canada right now – a collective pessimism that eats away at you from the inside.
Sweden – still among the happy ones
But let's not get too down in the dumps back home. Sure, we've dropped a few places this year – we've noticed – but we're still part of that exclusive club of countries where you can breathe easy. Finland, Denmark, Iceland, and the Netherlands are ahead of us, but we still beat most others. Maybe it's our openness, our sense of security, or just having access to nature and a decent work-life balance that sees us do alright. Because even if we moan about the weather and the housing shortage in the cities, we've actually got it pretty damn good.
And one thing's for certain: when the next report lands in 2027, we'll no doubt be comparing ourselves to our Finnish neighbours again. Until then, we'll just have to live with them being the world champions of happiness – and we'll have to settle for being among the top of the class. For a country in northern Europe, that's still pretty okay.