Global Attitudes to Happiness 2026

Key findings

• Most people are happy. On average across 29 countries 74% say they are happy with 26% unhappy.
• Happiness is higher than 12 months ago. In 25 of the 29 countries surveyed people are happier than they were 12 months ago.
• However, reported happiness is lower than 15 years ago. Ipsos has been tracking global happiness since 2011 and in 15 of the 20 countries featured in both surveys people are less likely to feel happy.
• Happiness varies across household income levels. Those on a lower income are less likely to report being happy (67%) compared to people with the higher (79%) or medium household income (76%).
• Being appreciated and family relationships are the biggest drivers of happiness. Thirty-seven per cent of people who report being happy feeling appreciated/loved is what contributes to their happiness.

Where are people happiest?

In Indonesia 85% say they are happy, the highest figure in our survey of 29 countries. The Netherlands is second, with 84% feeling happy. At the other end of the scale, Hungary is the most unhappy. Fifty-four per cent of Hungarians report being happy, while 46% say they are unhappy. South Korea is the second lowest with 57% being happy.

Happiness does vary across different household income levels. Those on a lower income are less likely to report being happy (67%) compared to people with the higher (79%) or medium household income (76%).

Are we getting happier?

In 25 of the 29 countries surveyed people are happier than they were 12 months ago. Only three countries - the Netherlands, India and Argentina - say they are less happy this year than in 2025.

However, since 2011, in 15 of the 20 countries featured in both surveys people are less likely to feel happy. Spain, Argentina, Hungary, Mexico and Brazil are the only countries to see happiness increase in that time. Türkiye has seen the biggest fall in happiness, down 30pp since 2011.

What makes us happy and unhappy?

People who feel happy say feeling appreciated (37%) and their relationship with their family and children (36%) have the biggest impact on their happiness. While personal relationships have the biggest effect on happiness, it is external factors that drive unhappiness. My financial situation is seen the number one cause of what makes people unhappy (57%). This is the case for 28 of the 29 countries surveyed.

People with a lower income are more likely to say feeling appreciated is the biggest driver of their happiness, compared to those with higher or middle incomes who choose my relationship with my family. However, there is less disagreement about what cause unhappiness with all three income levels choosing my financial situation.

This year people are less likely to see their country’s economy as a source of unhappiness than in 2025 in all but four of the surveyed countries. In our What Worries the World survey we see more people think their country’s economy is stronger now than last year, suggesting that the slightly improved conditions could explain the rise in happiness this year.

Technical note
Fieldwork for this report took place between Wednesday, December 24, 2025 and Friday, January 9, 2026.