Israel Among Top 10 Happiest Countries Despite Ongoing Conflict

The United Nations has released the ‘World Happiness Report 2026’, ranking countries based on overall well-being and quality of life. Finland has once again secured the top position, marking its ninth consecutive year as the world’s happiest country. According to the report, Pakistan ranks 104th among 147 countries, while India is placed at 116th position. India has shown a slight improvement compared to 2025, when it was ranked 118th. Among other neighbouring countries, Bangladesh stands at 127th, Afghanistan at the bottom position of 147th, while Sri Lanka and Nepal are ranked 99th and 134th respectively. Despite being involved in conflict for the past two and a half years, Israel has been ranked as the eighth happiest country in the world. The report highlights that countries affected by conflict dominate the lower end of the rankings, with Afghanistan remaining the least happy nation, followed by Sierra Leone and Malawi. Notably, no English-speaking country has made it to the top 10 this year. The United States is ranked 23rd, Canada 25th, and the United Kingdom 29th. The report attributes higher happiness levels in countries like Finland to strong economic conditions, equitable distribution of resources, robust welfare systems, and better living standards. It also points out that excessive use of social media is negatively affecting the happiness and mental well-being of young people in several countries. The top 10 happiest countries in the world, as per the 2026 report, are Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Costa Rica, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Israel, Luxembourg, and Switzerland.