Luxembourg retains its ninth place worldwide in the World Happiness Report 2026—the result of a partnership between Gallup, the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre and the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network—, a rank already held last year. Its life satisfaction score is just over 7 out of 10, with no major variation from one edition to the next.

In detail, the Luxembourg model continues to be driven by its level of wealth. GDP per capita alone accounts for almost a third of the total score, a much higher proportion than that observed in most of the countries in the top 10. Conversely, factors such as generosity and trust contribute much less, often less than 10% each.

Social support, health and personal freedom complete the equation, with intermediate contributions, but without reaching the levels seen in the Nordic countries. This is where the difference lies: with a comparable overall score, Finland or Denmark rely more on social factors than on wealth alone.

Over 130 countries

As a backdrop, the report published on Thursday 19 March highlights a more worrying trend. In Western countries, wellbeing is declining, particularly among young people. Western Europe is directly affected, with a drop in life evaluations and a rise in negative emotions.

These data come from the Gallup World Poll, an international survey conducted in over 130 countries. In each country, a representative sample of the adult population is drawn, usually around 1,000 people. In Luxembourg, therefore, residents—and not just nationals—answer the questions.

The methodology remains unchanged. The ranking is based on a subjective assessment of life on a scale of 0 to 10, aggregated over several years and then explained by six major factors, such as income, health and social support. Statec, for its part, spoke on chapter 9, “Social media use and wellbeing in the Middle East and North Africa”.