World Happiness Report 2026: Greece Slides Further Down the Global Rankings

The World Happiness Report 2026, compiled using Gallup World Poll data and published by the UN’s Sustainable Development Solutions Network, has once again highlighted which countries report the highest life satisfaction. Nordic nations dominate the top spots, with Finland holding the No. 1 position for the ninth year in a row, followed by Iceland, Denmark, and Sweden. Costa Rica continues to shine as the highest-ranked Latin American nation.

The report measures happiness using the Cantril ladder, where respondents rate their lives from 0 (worst possible) to 10 (best possible), and also analyzes six key drivers: GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and perceptions of corruption.

Greece’s Position in 2026
Greece has fallen to 85th place globally in 2026, with an average life evaluation of roughly 5.7. This represents a continued decline from 81st in 2025, reflecting broader economic and social challenges even as average scores remain relatively stable. For comparison, countries like Venezuela now rank slightly higher than Greece, and the United States sits around 23rd. Over the last decade, Greece’s ranking has dropped steadily, even as its life evaluation scores hovered between 5.6 and 5.7, showing that relative global progress matters as