Turkey ranked 94th out of 147 countries in the latest World Happiness Report, remaining in the lower tier of the global rankings as Nordic nations once again dominated the top spots.
The report, the latest edition of which was released on Thursday on the occasion of the International Day of Happiness, is issued annually by the UN’s Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
The study is based on surveys of some 100,000 people across 140 countries.
It ranks countries on happiness based on their average life evaluations over the three preceding years, in this case, 2023 to 2025.
The happiness index considers six key factors: GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom to make life choices, generosity and perceptions of corruption.
The report showed that Turkey maintained its position from last year with a life evaluation score of 5.300, based on self-assessed life evaluations averaged over 2023–2025 data from the Gallup World Poll.
Finland was named the world’s happiest country for the ninth consecutive year, followed by Iceland, Denmark, Costa Rica, Sweden and Norway, with Nordic countries continuing to dominate the rankings.
At the bottom of the list, Afghanistan ranked as the least happy country, followed by Sierra Leone, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Yemen and Lebanon.
The report notes that countries ranking highest in happiness tend to combine strong welfare systems with relatively equal income distribution and high levels of social trust.
Finland’s continued top ranking was attributed to factors such as low inequality, trust in public institutions and a comprehensive welfare state, despite economic challenges including rising unemployment and cuts to social benefits.
Researchers also pointed to the importance of social connections and stability. Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, one of the report’s editors and a professor at Oxford University, said differences in wellbeing across countries are shaped not only by economic indicators but also by the quality of social life.
Costa Rica’s rise to fourth place marked the highest ranking ever for a Latin American country, which researchers linked to strong family ties and social cohesion.
Turkey remains in lower tier of rankings
Turkey’s position near the lower end of the rankings, between Mozambique and Iraq in the global list, reflects a persistent gap with higher-ranking countries in terms of life satisfaction.
Recent domestic data also point to mixed signals on wellbeing. According to a Life Satisfaction Survey released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) in February, 53.3 percent of adults described themselves as happy in 2025, up from 49.6 percent the previous year.
At the same time, economic concerns remain dominant. The survey found that 31.3 percent of respondents cited the cost of living as the country’s biggest problem, pointing to ongoing financial pressures amid years of high inflation and declining purchasing power.
Separate data also showed mounting psychological strain linked to economic hardship. The number of boxes of antidepressants sold in Turkey rose from 45.1 million in 2016 to 71.5 million in 2025, an increase of nearly 60 percent, according to figures cited by an opposition lawmaker.
The rise has been attributed by critics and researchers to worsening economic conditions, rising debt and growing pessimism about the future, as households continue to struggle with the cost-of-living crisis.
While the global report does not provide a detailed country-specific breakdown, it emphasizes that long-term differences in wellbeing across countries are closely linked to economic stability, social support systems and levels of public trust.
Heavy social media use linked to lower youth wellbeing
The report also highlights the growing impact of social media on young people’s wellbeing, particularly in Western countries. “Dramatic declines” in happiness were recorded among people under 25 in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, “especially among girls,” according to the report.
Researchers found that heavy social media use is associated with significantly lower life satisfaction, particularly among adolescents. Girls aged 15 who use social media for five hours or more per day reported lower levels of wellbeing compared to those with more limited use.
At the same time, the report noted that the relationship between social media and wellbeing is complex. “Heavy usage is associated with much lower wellbeing, but those deliberately off social media also appear to be missing out on some positive effects,” De Neve said.
On average, adolescents spend about two-and-a-half hours per day on social media, with the most problematic platforms identified as those driven by algorithmic feeds, influencer content and image-based comparisons.
The report also cited internal research covering Turkey showing that one in three teenage girls said Instagram worsened their body image, while many reported increased anxiety and depression linked to the platform.