World Happiness Report
US surpasses Canada in latest World Happiness Report rankings
The United States has edged out Canada in the 2026 World Happiness Report, climbing to 24th place while Canada dropped to 25th.
This marked a continued slide for the northern neighbour once ranked in the global top 10, according to data compiled by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford in partnership with Gallup.
Key rankings and shifts
Finland retained its top spot for the ninth straight year with a score of 7.74 out of 10, followed closely by Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
Canada scored 6.80, just behind the US at 6.72, as detailed in rankings from World Population Review citing the report.
Other English-speaking nations like Australia (11th) and New Zealand (12th) fared better, while the UK sat at 23rd
CBC News reported that Canada's decline stems partly from heavy social media use eroding well-being among youth under 25, especially teenage girls in English-speaking countries, including Canada.
Life satisfaction for this group in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand has fallen sharply over the past decade.
Factors behind the trends
The report evaluates countries on self-reported life satisfaction over three years, factoring in GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and low corruption.
Nordic dominance persists due to strong social safety nets, while North America's dip highlights youth mental health challenges linked to digital overload. Canada-specific analyses from McGill experts note a decade-long trend away from top-tier status.
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