2026 Report: Social media erodes happiness in Africa, other regions
The report finds that heavy social media use—defined as more than five hours a day—is consistently associated with higher stress levels, increased depressive symptoms.
The World Happiness Report 2026 has been released, with Mauritius leading Africa’s rankings on the happiness scale, with a happiness score of 5.9 and a global position of 73.
The island nation continues to stand out for its relative political stability, social cohesion, and quality of life. Close behind are Libya and Algeria, both tied at happiness score 5.7, reflecting how even in complex political environments, factors such as community ties and social support still play a meaningful role in how people evaluate their lives, the report says.
Further down the African table, countries like Mozambique, Gabon and Côte d’Ivoire occupy the middle ground, where economic pressures coexist with strong informal networks that often cushion hardship. Cameroon and South Africa follow, with South Africa ranking 101st globally at a score of 5.0, while Nigeria sits slightly lower at 106th with score 4.7.
Global leaders
Set against this African picture is the global backdrop, where countries such as Finland, Denmark and Iceland continue to dominate the top spots. Their success is often attributed to strong institutions, low corruption and robust welfare systems, according to the report.
At the bottom of the global rankings, the report underscores how deeply happiness is tied to stability and security. Afghanistan remains the least happy country in the world, with a score of just 1.4.
It is followed by Sierra Leone, Malawi and Zimbabwe, where economic hardship, political uncertainty and limited access to essential services continue to shape daily life. Yemen and Lebanon also remain near the bottom, reflecting the enduring toll of conflict and economic collapse, the report finds.
Social media impact
One of the most striking findings in the report is the decline in happiness and wellbeing among young people in North America and Western Europe over the past 15 years. This trend runs parallel to the explosive growth of social media, the report says this raises urgent questions about its long-term effects.
The report finds that heavy social media use—defined as more than five hours a day—is consistently associated with higher stress levels, increased depressive symptoms and a growing sense among young people that they are worse off than their parents.
Social media platforms are built around passive consumption, such as scrolling through highly visual, curated content, which appears to have mostly negative impact, the report says.
Following social media influencers, especially those popular among the young generation, known as Gen Z, enables constant exposure to idealised lifestyles that fuel unhealthy comparisons and quietly erode happiness and satisfaction, the report finds.
However, for the African continent, overall happiness decline is shaped more by structural and economic challenges than digital ones.
The report is compiled by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford in partnership with the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network.