Finland leads European happiness rankings in 2026 report

The 2026 World Happiness Report, based on Gallup World Poll data, reveals significant disparities in life satisfaction across Europe. Finland maintains its position as the happiest country for the ninth consecutive year, scoring approximately 7.8 out of 10. Iceland and Denmark follow closely with scores around 7.5, while Sweden, Norway, and the Netherlands also rank highly.

In contrast, life satisfaction scores tend to decrease toward Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Turkey recorded a life satisfaction score of 5.3, making it the second lowest-ranked country in Europe, surpassed only by Ukraine, which scored 4.66.

The report calculates these scores based on individual assessments of life quality rather than direct economic indicators like GDP. Researchers utilize variables such as social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and perceptions of corruption to explain the differences between nations.