The World Happiness Report 2026 shows Vietnam ranked 45th globally with a score of 6.428/10. This is the middle group in the ranking.
This ranking increased one place compared to the 2025 report, ranking compared to 54th place in 2024 and 65th place in 2023.
Notably, Vietnam is ranked in the group of countries with a significant increase in happiness compared to the period 2006-2010, along with China, Mongolia, Philippines and Nicaragua. This reflects a long-term trend, showing that the level of life satisfaction of Vietnamese people is clearly improving.
In the global picture, Vietnam's trend goes against many developed Western countries, where the level of happiness has tended to decrease in the past 15-20 years. Conversely, many developing countries, including Vietnam, have recorded significant increases, showing the role of economic growth, improving living standards and social stability.
Finland continues to hold the position of happiest country in the world for the 9th consecutive year, with an average score of 7.764/10.
Followed by Iceland (2nd place), Denmark (3rd place), along with Sweden (5th place) and Norway (6th place). The group of Nordic countries continues to dominate the ranking, thanks to high social trust, stable institutions and community cohesion.
Another bright spot is Costa Rica when it rose to 4th place - the highest ranking ever, marking a significant step forward for the Latin American region.
Meanwhile, Switzerland returned to the top 10 in 10th place. Countries such as Kosovo (16), Slovenia (18) and the Czech Republic (20) continue to improve, showing that the gap in happiness levels between Eastern and Western Europe is gradually narrowing.
At the bottom of the ranking, countries affected by the conflict continue to have the lowest level of happiness. Afghanistan ranks last, followed by Sierra Leone and Malawi.
The US ranked 23rd, slightly up one place but still in a downward trend that has lasted for more than a decade. The main reason comes from the decrease in life satisfaction in the group under 25 years old. This situation also occurs in Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The 2026 report also particularly emphasizes the role of social networks in mental health, especially in young people. Platforms that promote social connection tend to have a positive impact, while platforms that depend on algorithms and content of influencers are prone to stress and social comparison.
This impact varies by region: in English-speaking countries and Western Europe, excessive social media use is more clearly linked to decline in happiness, while in Latin America, this connection is often more positive.
Top 25 happiest countries in the world 2026
The World Happiness Report 2026 is an annual publication assessing the level of happiness of people in more than 140 countries, published on the occasion of the United Nations International Day of Happiness. The report is conducted by the Center for Happiness Research at Oxford University in collaboration with the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and Gallup, based mainly on Gallup World Poll data.
The ranking is built from the way people self-assess life, while combining analysis of factors such as income, social support, healthy life expectancy, level of freedom, generosity and awareness of corruption, thereby reflecting a comprehensive picture of quality of life globally.
