Finland has been recognized as the happiest country in the world for the ninth consecutive time. In Central Asia, Kazakhstan achieved a similar position. This was reported in the "World Happiness Report 2026", which reflects the happiness level of countries.
The report is published annually on March 20 — International Day of Happiness. When compiling the ranking, GDP per capita, life expectancy, social support, freedom level, and corruption factors are taken into account.
Following Finland in the ranking are Iceland, Denmark, Costa Rica, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Israel, Luxembourg, and Switzerland. Experts explain the leadership of Scandinavian countries by high social trust, low inequality, a developed social system, quality healthcare, and education. Balance between work and personal life, as well as citizens’ trust in government institutions, are also important factors.
Central Asian countries occupy the following positions:
Kazakhstan — 33rd place (up 10 positions)
Uzbekistan — 53rd place (unchanged)
Kyrgyzstan — 66th place (up 9 positions)
Tajikistan — 88th place (up 2 positions)
Turkmenistan was not included in the ranking.
The United States did not make the top ten, moving from 24th to 23rd place. Russia fell 13 positions to 79th place. Ukraine remained 111th, the same as last year. Afghanistan was recognized as the unhappiest country with 147th place. Sierra Leone, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Lebanon also appeared in the lower part of the ranking.
In the 2026 survey, more than 23,000 respondents from 29 countries worldwide were questioned. Participants were aged 16 to 74. 74% of respondents stated that they consider themselves happy.
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