Take a look at the essential events, concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here’s your UPSC Current Affairs knowledge nugget for today on World Happiness Report 2026.(Relevance: The report is important for understanding global indices and methodologies used to assess well-being, a recurring theme in UPSC Prelims and Mains. It also links to GS Paper I (social issues) and GS Paper II (governance), especially debates around mental health, youth well-being, and regulation of social media.)Released on Thursday, the World Happiness Report 2026 notes that 79 countries recorded gains in happiness levels despite rising geopolitical tensions.Key Takeaways:The annual report is published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford. Country rankings were based on answers given by around 100,000 people in 140 countries and territories who were asked to rate their own lives. The study was done in partnership with the analytics firm Gallup and the U.N. Sustainable Development Solutions Network.These rankings increasingly influence government policy, with countries like Bhutan famously adopting Gross National Happiness over GDP as a development metric.As per the report, the six factors to explain life evaluations:Having someone to count onGDP per capitaHealthy life expectancyFreedom to make life choicesGenerosityFreedom from corruptionIn most countries, approximately 1,000 people are contacted by telephone or face-to-face each year.Story continues below this adIndia improved its ranking from 126th in 2024 to 118th in 2025, rising two positions this year and currently standing at 116th with a life evaluation score of 4.536.Finland remains the happiest country in the world in 2026, holding the top spot for the ninth consecutive year. The Finnish population reported an average life evaluation score of 7.764 out of 10 this year, up 0.375 points from last year.The Nordic countries, Iceland (2nd), Denmark (3rd), Sweden (5th), and Norway (6th), also rank among the top 10 happiest countries in 2026.Costa Rica is a standout performer this year, climbing steadily from 23rd in 2023 to 4th in 2026, its highest-ever ranking. It is largely attributed to well-being boosts from family bonds and other social connections.Story continues below this adSwitzerland returned to the top 10 at 10th place after slipping to 13th last year.The 2026 rankings showed a notable absence of English-speaking countries, with none appearing in the top 10 for the second consecutive year.Only a few English-speaking countries appear in the top 20: New Zealand is 11th, followed by Ireland at 13th and Australia at 15th.Meanwhile, the United States ranks 23rd, Canada 25th, and the United Kingdom 29th.Story continues below this adIn contrast, Afghanistan, at the bottom of the list at 147th, has once again been ranked the world’s unhappiest country, along with Malawi (145th) and Sierra Leone (146th), all affected by conflict.BEYOND THE NUGGET: World Inequality Report 2026The World Inequality Report 2026, the third report in the series after earlier 2018 and 2022 editions, is based on the work of over 200 scholars across the world, affiliated with the World Inequality Lab. According to the report, income inequality in India remains among the highest in the world, with top 10 per cent of earners capturing 58 per cent of national income, while bottom 50 per cent receive only 15 per cent.According to the report, wealth inequality is even greater in India, with the richest 10 per cent holding around 65 per cent of total wealth and the top 1 per cent holding about 40 per cent. The global top 10 per cent owns three-quarters of all wealth, while the bottom 50 per cent holds just 2 per cent.Post Read QuestionQ. With reference to the impact of social media on well-being as highlighted in the World Happiness Report 2026, consider the following statements:Story continues below this ad1. Excessive social media use is associated with lower well-being, particularly among adolescent girls.2. Platforms based on algorithmic feeds and visual content tend to worsen well-being due to social comparison.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?(a) 1 only(b) 2 only(c) Both 1 and 2(d) Neither 1 nor 2Answer: (c)(Sources: http://www.worldhappiness.report, World Happiness Report 2026)Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – Indian Express UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for March 2026. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com