Bangladesh ranked 127th out of 147 countries in the World Happiness Report 2026, improving from 134th place last year.
The findings were published in the 14th edition of the global report on Thursday (19 March).
The report ranks countries based on people’s self-assessed life satisfaction on a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 represents the worst possible life and 10 the best.
It is produced through a partnership involving Gallup, the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and evaluates happiness using indicators such as GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity and perceptions of corruption.
Regional snapshot
Within South Asia, Bangladesh continues to trail several neighbours.
India ranked 116th, while Pakistan and Nepal also placed higher. Sri Lanka remained among the lowest-ranked countries globally.
Experts say the differences reflect the complex nature of well-being, where factors such as social support, personal freedom and perceptions of fairness play a significant role alongside economic conditions.
Global highlights
Finland retained its position as the world’s happiest country for the ninth consecutive year.
Nordic countries continued to dominate the top rankings, supported by strong welfare systems, high social trust and consistently high life satisfaction.
The report also examined the impact of social media on well-being, particularly among young people.
It found that extensive use of social media – especially passive scrolling or content consumption – is associated with lower life satisfaction. While no direct causal link is established, the report suggests heavy use may weaken social interactions and perceived social support.
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