Three Consecutive Years of Decline, Record Low Ranking

South Korea ranked 67th out of 147 countries in the '2026 World Happiness Report' released by the University of Oxford's Wellbeing Research Centre on the 19th, marking its lowest ranking ever. Korea's happiness score was 6.040 out of 10 points, showing a three-year consecutive decline following 52nd place in 2024 and 58th place in 2025.

The survey is based on Gallup polls conducted among citizens of each country from 2023 to 2025. Respondents evaluated their quality of life on a scale from 0 to 10 points, with final scores calculated by combining six categories: GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and perception of corruption.

Strong Economic Indicators but Low Social Trust

South Korea received relatively high evaluations in GDP per capita and life expectancy categories. However, it showed poor performance in the 'generosity' category, which indicates community contributions such as charitable activities, and in the 'perception of corruption' category compared to top-ranking countries. This suggests that despite economic development, social trust and community consciousness are failing to elevate happiness levels.

Within Asia, Taiwan recorded the highest ranking at 26th place. Singapore (36th), Vietnam (45th), Thailand (52nd), and the Philippines (56th) followed. South Korea remained below both Japan (61st, 6.130 points) and China (65th, 6.074 points).

Nordic Dominance, Anglo-American Youth Happiness Declines

Globally, Finland claimed first place for the ninth consecutive year with 7.764 points. Nordic countries dominated the top rankings: Iceland (2nd, 7.540 points), Denmark (3rd, 7.539 points), Sweden (5th, 7.255 points), Norway (6th, 7.242 points), and the Netherlands (7th, 7.223 points). Among Latin American countries, Costa Rica showed exceptional performance, ranking 4th with 7.439 points. The United States recorded 23rd place with 6.816 points, while Afghanistan ranked lowest (1.446 points).

Notably, in the four Anglo-American countries—the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand—happiness levels among youth under 25 actually declined compared to 20 years ago. The report confirmed that in these countries, as internet usage time, particularly SNS and gaming hours, increased, life satisfaction tended to decrease. Survey results from 47 countries showed that students who spent more time on social media had lower happiness levels, with the effect particularly pronounced among teenage girls. Social media was analyzed to promote social comparison and negatively impact mental health.

Implications for South Korea

South Korea's declining happiness is not merely an individual issue but reveals structural social challenges. The fact that high economic levels are undermined by corruption perception and lack of social trust indicates areas requiring policy improvements. Additionally, the case of Anglo-American youth serves as a warning signal for Korean society. Social attention and measures to address the mental health and wellbeing of the digital native generation are urgently needed.