Nigeria has been ranked 106th in the 2026 edition of the World Happiness Report, marking a continued decline in the country’s position over the past three years.

 

The report, released on Thursday to commemorate the International Day of Happiness, assessed 147 countries based on how citizens evaluate their own quality of life. The global observance, celebrated annually on March 20, was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012 to emphasize the importance of well-being and happiness worldwide.

 

Nigeria’s latest ranking represents a drop from 105th in 2025 and 102nd in 2024, reflecting a steady downward trend in perceived well-being among its citizens.

 

Within Africa, Mauritius emerged as the continent’s happiest nation, ranking 73rd globally. Other top-performing African countries include Libya, Algeria, and Mozambique. Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, South Africa, Niger, and Tunisia also featured among the top 10 in Africa, with Tunisia ranking 105th globally, just ahead of Nigeria.

 

On the global stage, Finland retained its position as the happiest country in the world for the ninth consecutive year. It was followed by Iceland, Denmark, and Costa Rica, with Nordic countries continuing to dominate the top rankings. Costa Rica stood out as the only non-European country among the top five.

 

The report is produced by the University of Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre in partnership with Gallup and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. It draws on data from the Gallup World Poll, where respondents rate their lives based on a range of factors.

 

Rankings are calculated using three-year averages and take into account indicators such as GDP per capita, social support, life expectancy, personal freedom, generosity, and perceptions of corruption