According to the '2026 World Happiness Report' released on March 20 by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), Gallup, and the Oxford Centre for Wellbeing, South Korea's happiness ranking has fallen to 67th place globally, marking its lowest position since rankings began in 2012. South Koreans rated their happiness score at 6.040 out of 10, a significant drop from last year's rank of 58th, reflecting a decline of nine places. Historically, South Korea's ranking hovered mostly around the mid-50s after initially placing 41st in the first report.

The report analyses survey data from 147 countries and considers various factors like GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and corruption perceptions. While South Korea scores high in GDP and life expectancy, it ranked middling for social support and freedom of choice. Notably, the country scores poorly for perceptions of giving and corruption, placing it outside the top 100. This contrasts sharply with high-ranking nations like Finland, which has topped the list for nine consecutive years.

Finland leads the happiness ranking this year with a score of 7.439, followed by Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway in the top five. Interestingly, Costa Rica has ranked 4th, achieving a top five position for the first time among Latin American countries. The report reflects the increasing importance of strong social bonds, such as those seen in family-centric societies like Costa Rica. Amid ongoing conflict, Israel has also managed to secure the 8th place globally with a score of 7.187, while the United States sits at 6.816.