In the 2026 report, Japan ranked 61 out of 147 countries and territories, with a score of 6.130. First place went to Finland (7.764). The score is the average answer when people rate their own life on a scale from 0 to 10.
This map lets you check the ranks published in the World Happiness Report, and where Japan and other countries stand, using the original figures.
This map shows the happiness scores and rankings by country published in the World Happiness Report 2026. The scores are averages of answers to the "Cantril Ladder" question in the Gallup World Poll, in which respondents say which step of a ladder they feel they stand on, with 0 representing the worst possible life and 10 the best possible life. The 2026 rankings are based on averages of responses from 2023 to 2025 and cover 147 countries.
Each circle sits near the middle of a country or territory, not at the capital or any particular place. A bigger circle means a higher score, and Japan's circle has its own colour. Select a circle to see the score and rank in the chosen report. The list is ordered by score, with Japan's row in bold.
Use the buttons above to switch report (year published). There was no 2014 report. Countries surveyed differ between reports, so the number listed also differs.
What the numbers do not show: they are averages of how people rated their own lives, not direct measures of income or health. Each country survey is a sample of roughly 1,000 people a year, so there is a margin of error, and countries with close scores can easily swap places. Countries with large and small population are each shown as one average. Countries and territories without a survey are not listed.
In the 2026 edition, Japan ranks 61st out of 147 countries, with a score of 6.130. This ranking and score are based on the average of survey responses from 2023 to 2025.
The scores are averages of answers to the "Cantril Ladder" question in the Gallup World Poll. Respondents imagine a ladder where 0 is the worst possible life and 10 is the best possible life, and say which step they feel they stand on. To improve precision, each country's score is the average of responses over the most recent three years.
A new edition of the report is published every year, and the rankings are recalculated each time from the average of the most recent three years of survey data. Because the period covered shifts each year and other countries' scores change as well, Japan's ranking moves up and down between editions.
The 2026 ranking covers 147 countries. The underlying Gallup World Poll is conducted every year in 140 countries and territories, surveying over 100,000 people.
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