Nigeria has been ranked 106th out of 147 countries in the newly released World Happiness Report 2026, positioning the nation in the lower half of the global rankings.
The report, published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford in partnership with Gallup and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, reveals that Nigeria recorded an average life evaluation score of 4.788 on a scale of 0 to 10.
According to the report, Nigeria’s ranking places it between Tunisia (105th) and Senegal (107th). When compared to other African nations, Nigeria sits in the middle of the regional spectrum, trailing several North African and Sub-Saharan countries while remaining ahead of many others.
Several African nations achieved higher happiness rankings than Nigeria, including Mauritius: 73rd (5.939), Libya: 81st (5.731), Algeria: 83rd (5.714), Mozambique: 93rd (5.336), Gabon: 96th (5.167), Côte d’Ivoire: 98th (5.148), Cameroon: 100th (5.083), South Africa: 101st (5.009), Niger: 103rd (4.940) and Tunisia: 105th (4.798).
Nigeria is ranked ahead of a significant number of African countries, such as Senegal: 107th (4.787), Namibia: 108th (4.781), Kenya: 110th (4.674), Morocco: 112th (4.646), Ghana: 115th (4.554), Uganda: 118th (4.491), Ethiopia: 135th (3.985), Egypt: 139th (3.862) and Sierra Leone: 146th (3.251)
Nigeria’s standing is particularly notable when compared to its regional peers. It is ranked lower than South Africa (101st) but significantly higher than Ghana (115th) and Egypt (139th). While Nigeria maintains a mid-range position, the report notes that several African countries, including Malawi, Botswana, and Egypt, are among the eight nations globally that have experienced the largest drops in life evaluations since the 2006–2010 base period. Conversely, Togo (131st) is highlighted as a significant gainer, having risen 20 places since 2013.
The annual rankings are based on self-assessed life evaluations from the Gallup World Poll, using a metric known as the Cantril Ladder. Survey respondents are asked to rate their current lives on a scale where 10 represents the “best possible life”, and 0 represents the “worst”. To ensure the data is representative and to mute the impact of short-term crises, the 2026 rankings were calculated using a three-year average of data collected between 2023 and 2025.
According to the report, Nigeria’s true rank is estimated to fall within a 95% confidence interval of 103 to 114.
While the rankings themselves are determined solely by the citizens’ self-reported happiness, the researchers use six key variables to help explain the variation in happiness levels across the globe: GDP per capita (measured in purchasing power parity), social support (having someone to count on in times of trouble), healthy life expectancy at birth, freedom to make life choices, generosity (based on recent donations to charity) and perceptions of corruption within government and business.
The report uses a benchmark called “Dystopia”, a hypothetical country with the world’s lowest national averages for these six factors, to show how much each variable contributes to a nation’s total score.
The 2026 report highlights a massive gap between the world’s most and least happy nations. Finland remains the world’s happiest country for the ninth consecutive year with a score of 7.764, followed by Iceland and Denmark. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Afghanistan is ranked last at 147th with a score of 1.446.
Within the African context, Nigeria’s ranking of 106th is similar to other regional peers such as South Africa (101st), Niger (103rd), Namibia (108th), and Ghana (115th).
A significant focus of this year’s report is the link between social media and well-being. The researchers found that across the globe, including in parts of Africa, heavy social media use, defined as more than five hours per day, is associated with higher stress, increased depressive symptoms, and lower life evaluations.
The World Happiness Report serves as an increasingly vital tool for governments, many of whom are adopting multidimensional approaches to wellbeing to help guide public policy.
