Chile fell from 45th to 50th in the 2026 World Happiness Report by Gallup, released on March 20 for World Happiness Day. It scored 6.302 out of 10, its worst position since the report began.
The World Happiness Report assesses life satisfaction in 136 countries using variables like GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make choices, corruption perception, and generosity. Chile confirms a downward trend since 2023, overtaken by Latin American countries: Costa Rica (4th), Mexico (12th), Uruguay (31st), Brazil (32nd), El Salvador (37th), Panama (39th), Guatemala (42nd), and Argentina (44th). Globally, 79 countries improved and 41 declined in happiness levels. Finland leads with 7.764 points, followed by Iceland (7.540) and Denmark (7.539). The top 15 includes Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, Israel, Luxembourg, Switzerland, New Zealand, Ireland, Belgium, and Australia. Wenceslao Unanue, academic at Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, stated that this drop 'invites reflection on how Chileans value their own lives compared to the rest of the region.' He added that, while Chile maintains a relevant economic structure, being surpassed by neighbors suggests social factors and expectations impacting internal satisfaction, beyond macroeconomic variables, also depending on institutions and perceived quality of life. A letter to the editor in La Tercera links happiness to economic prosperity, quoting former Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen.
