‘More saunas than cars’: Finland tops world happiness ranking as Canada drops below top 20

Canada’s place on the World Happiness Ranking continues to slide. CTV’s Peter Szperling looks at some of the possible reasons for the decline.

Canada’s happiness ranking continues to decline from the 5th happiest place in the world in 2014 to 25th in 2026.

Meanwhile, Finland was ranked the happiest country in the world for the ninth year in a row in the annual World Happiness Report from the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford.

What’s the secret? Finnish ambassador to Canada Hanna-Leena Korteniemi said Finland’s happiness is built on strong social systems.

“Also on the culture of well-being,” Korteniemi told CTV News Ottawa.

“There are more saunas in Finland than cars. So, that’s a place to actually kind of cool down and detach from your daily pressures.”

Social media use a factor

The World Happiness Report highlights heavy social media use as a possible contribution to a decline in well-being among young people.

“So, the reason why we see Canada, and North America more generally, slip down the ranking is, in fact, mostly driven by the drop in youth well-being,” said Prof. Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, director of the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford and one of the editors of the World Happiness Report.

“And this is also the focus of this year’s report, where we look into the role social media might be playing in that decline.”

The report says life satisfaction is highest at low rates of social media use and lower at higher rates of use, based on data about internet activities of 15-year-old students in 47 countries; however, data for Canada was not included.

Still, it’s something students in Canada say they have noticed.

“I can kind of see that, especially when a lot of people are comparing themselves, especially with social media. A lot of AI,” said Algonquin College student Trina Chu.

Experts at CHEO are also noticing an increase in anxiety and depression.

“Before screens ever came along, people seem to be happier and people connected with that which they really needed,” said child psychiatrist Dr. Michael Cheng.

“I would agree that, as a child psychiatrist, we are seeing very high rates of kids who are growing up in today’s society who are anxious, who are depressed, who aren’t having those needs for mental wellness met,” he says.

Korteniemi says Finland and Canada are alike in some ways, but there is a focus on balance in her country.

“I certainly see the similarities between our two nations, weather wise and all that. I think that what we really pay attention to is a balanced life. It’s one of the things that we appreciate, focus on well-being, work-life balance,” she said.

--With files from the Canadian Press and the Associated Press

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