Finlandia was found to be the happiest country in the world

Finland has been named the happiest country in the world for the ninth consecutive year. Zamin.uz reported on this.

In Central Asia, Kazakhstan achieved this status. This was announced in the "World Happiness Report 2026" ranking, which measures happiness levels across countries.

The report is published annually on March 20, International Day of Happiness. In compiling the ranking, factors such as GDP per capita, life expectancy, social support, freedom level, and corruption level are taken into account.

Following Finland in the ranking are Iceland, Denmark, Costa Rica, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, Israel, Luxembourg, and Switzerland. Experts highlight that Scandinavian countries stand out due to high social trust, low inequality, a developed welfare system, and quality healthcare and education systems.

Additionally, work-life balance and citizens' trust in state institutions are considered important factors. Central Asian countries hold the following positions.

Kazakhstan ranked 33rd, moving up 10 spots compared to last year. Uzbekistan remained at 53rd place, while Kyrgyzstan rose to 66th place, improving by 9 positions.

Tajikistan rose to 88th place, advancing by 2 spots. Turkmenistan was not included in the ranking.

The United States failed to enter the top ten, moving from 24th place last year to 23rd. Russia dropped by 13 positions, taking 79th place.

Ukraine remained at 111th place, the same as last year. Afghanistan was recorded as the unhappiest country with 147th place.

Additionally, Sierra Leone, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Lebanon are also located at the lower rungs of the ranking. As part of the study, a survey was conducted in 2026 involving over 23,000 respondents across 29 countries worldwide.

Participants were individuals aged between 16 and 74 years. According to the survey results, 74 percent of those who participated considered themselves happy.