Nigeria has slipped to 106th position in the 2026 World Happiness Report, deepening concerns over the country’s overall well-being and quality of life.
The latest ranking marks a continued decline from 105th in 2025 and 102nd in 2024, reflecting a steady downward trend in how Nigerians assess their living conditions.
The report, released on Thursday to mark the International Day of Happiness, evaluated 147 countries based on citizens’ self-assessment of their lives.
“The rankings are based on how people evaluate their own lives on a scale from zero to 10,” the report noted.
The annual observance, held every March 20, was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012 to promote global awareness of happiness and well-being as key development goals.
Across Africa, Mauritius ranked highest on the continent, placing 73rd globally. Libya, Algeria and Mozambique followed among the top-performing African countries. Others in the continent’s top 10 include Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, South Africa, Niger and Tunisia, which ranked 105th globally—just ahead of Nigeria.
Globally, Finland retained its position as the happiest country for the ninth consecutive year, followed by Iceland, Denmark and Costa Rica.
“Nordic countries continue to dominate the top rankings due to strong social support systems, high levels of trust, and overall life satisfaction,” the report stated.
The report is produced by the University of Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre in collaboration with Gallup and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, drawing on data from the Gallup World Poll.
“Happiness is influenced by factors such as income, health, freedom, generosity and absence of corruption,” the report added.
Rankings are based on three-year averages and consider key indicators including GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, personal freedom, generosity and perceptions of corruption.
Analysts say Nigeria’s declining position underscores persistent economic challenges and social pressures affecting citizens’ perception of well-being.
“The steady drop in ranking reflects the realities many Nigerians face daily, from economic strain to governance concerns,” a policy analyst said.