Happiest countries revealed as Costa Rica shoots up | The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentIndependentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleKostya Manenkov & Kirsten GrieshaberThursday 19 March 2026 11:04 GMTThe town square of San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica (Getty Images/iStockphoto)Finland has been crowned the world's happiest nation for the ninth consecutive year, with other Nordic countries consistently ranking among the top 10.Costa Rica made a big leap in the World Happiness Report 2026, attributed to strong family bonds and social connections; it is the first time a Latin American country has made the top 10.Iceland, Denmark, and Costa Rica are the second, third and fourth happiest nations respectively, followed by Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Israel, Luxembourg, and Switzerland.The report indicates that heavy social media engagement is contributing to a stark decline in the well-being of young people, particularly teenage girls in English-speaking and Western European countries.Life evaluations among under-25s in nations such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have significantly dropped over the past decade, with prolonged social media use identified as a key factor.In fullHappiness Report highlights social media’s negative impact on Western EuropeThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in