Canada has fallen to 25th place in the latest global happiness rankings, marking its lowest position since the report began in 2012 and continuing a steady decline from fifth place in 2015. The findings come from the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, which publishes the widely followed annual global happiness report.
The report ranks Finland as the happiest country in the world for the ninth consecutive year, followed by other Nordic nations including Iceland, Denmark and Sweden, all of which continue to dominate the top positions due to strong social support systems, trust in institutions and high quality of life.
Canada’s drop from 18th place last year to 25th this year places it behind the United States, which ranked 23rd. Researchers point to a significant decline in well-being among young people, particularly those under 25, as a major contributing factor. The report highlights that increased time spent on social media is closely linked to lower life satisfaction in Canada and other countries such as Australia and New Zealand.
The findings suggest that while Canada continues to perform well in many traditional quality-of-life indicators, shifting social behaviours, mental health challenges among youth and changing lifestyles are impacting overall national happiness levels.
At the lower end of the rankings, countries facing ongoing conflict and instability continue to report the lowest levels of happiness, with Afghanistan once again ranked as the unhappiest nation, followed by Sierra Leone and Malawi.
The report reinforces growing concerns about the long-term effects of digital habits, social isolation and economic pressures on younger generations, raising important questions about how countries like Canada can improve well-being and restore overall life satisfaction in the years ahead.