Nigeria drops further in global happiness ranking, now 106th

Nigeria has ranked 106th in the 2026 World Happiness Report, continuing a gradual decline from 105th in 2025 and 102nd in 2024.

The latest report, released on Thursday to mark the International Day of Happiness, assessed 147 countries based on how residents evaluate their quality of life.

The annual publication draws on data from the Gallup World Poll and asks respondents to rate their lives on a scale from zero to 10. Rankings are calculated using three-year averages and reflect factors such as income per capita, social support, life expectancy, personal freedom, generosity, and perceptions of corruption.

Across Africa, Mauritius emerged as the highest-ranked country at 73rd globally, followed by Libya, Algeria and Mozambique among the continent’s top performers. Other African countries in the top 10 include Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, South Africa, Niger and Tunisia, which placed 105th worldwide.

Globally, Finland retained its position as the world’s happiest country for the ninth consecutive year. Iceland, Denmark and Costa Rica followed, with the latter entering the global top five for the first time. Nordic countries continued to dominate the upper tier of the rankings.

The World Happiness Report is published annually by the University of Oxford’s Wellbeing Research Centre in partnership with Gallup and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Its release coincides with the International Day of Happiness, observed on March 20 each year following its adoption by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012.