StonePoint Real Estate Team

Feeling stressed by the tumultuous world out there? Here's a fun read for this month's update that you'll definitely find interesting - and cause you to ponder "why"...

Top 10: Happiest Countries in the World... Guess where Canada and the US Rank?!?

Based on the World Happiness Report 2025, countries are ranked based on life satisfaction surveys, using the following factors: income (GDP per capita), social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and corruption levels.

The Happiest Countries Top 10 are... (drum roll please):

1. Finland: The citizens of Finland have strong feelings of communal support and mutual trust that not only helped secure the #1 ranking but also helped the country as a whole navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. During that trying time, Finlanders felt strongly that they were free to make their own choices and showed minimal suspicion of government corruption. Both of these factors are strong contributors to overall happiness.

2. Iceland: Edging past Denmark into second place for the first time since 2014, this island nation of just 400,000 people ranks first for social support – the degree to which residents feel they have someone to count on in times of trouble. It also places in the top 10 for GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy and generosity, making it one of the most well-rounded performers in the rankings.

3. Denmark: A perennial top performer, Denmark has never dropped below fourth in the report's history and has frequently taken the top spot. Ranking third overall this year, the country also places third globally for social support and low corruption, and seventh for GDP per capita.

4. Costa Rica: Amazing, this marks the highest ranks ever for a Latin American country and the first for one of these countries to make the top five. This country’s freedom score and social support measures nearly doubling since 2021. Costa Rica doesn't rank as highly for GDP or governmental support as the Nordic nations, but residents still report strong freedom to make their own life choices. Attributed to the peoples “pura vida” lifestyle, Costa Rican prioritize social connection and nature over material wealth.

5. Sweden: High trust in the government and police fosters a sense of security; citizens believe public systems and institutions will effectively deliver what they promise. The Swedish “cradle to grave” welfare state provides universal healthcare, free education (up to college), and generous parental leave (up to 480 days between parents). These safeguards significantly reduce financial anxiety and provide a strong social safety net. Regarding work life balance, the Swedes work fewer hours on average than the global standard and enjoy a minimum of five weeks of paid vacation.

6. Norway: Norwegians feel they are being well cared for by their government thanks to universal healthcare and free college tuition. Norwegians also enjoy a healthy work-life balance, working an average of 27 hours per week versus 36 hours per week in the United States. Additionally, Norway has a low crime rate and citizens tend to have a high average income while benefiting from strong investment in public well being and eco-innovation.

7. Netherlands: The Dutch have a healthy work-life balance and high levels of personal freedom. The Netherlands has the highest rate of part time work in the world, it’s acceptable to work 3 or 4 day per week to spend time with family or hobbies. The education system emphasizes well being over high stakes testing, and the “cycling culture” gives teenagers independent mobility from an early age. Thus, Dutch children are ranked as some of the happiest in the world. As well, there is a long history of social tolerance, creating a society where people feel free to be themselves, boosting freedom to make life choices scores.

8. Israel: The people of Israel showed emotional resilience in the wake of the October 7th attack. Deep familial bonds and community resilience remained high despite regional conflict. Note, since this survey, we anticipate that Israel’s ranking in 2026 may likely be lower due to Israel’s current war with Iran or at least, the populace’s resilience will be tested more than ever.

9. Luxembourg: Blessed with extremely high GDP per capita and quality public services have made this nation shine on the happiness survey. High incomes relieve financial stress. Luxembourg was the first country in the world to make all public transportation free, leading to reduced commuting stress and increases in perceived freedom of its residents.

10. Switzerland: The Swiss responded favourably to their nation’s political stability, high income levels, and low perceived corruption.

Where do Canada and our neighbours to the South measure up on the World Happiness Report? Why?

Not the best news for Canada. We ranked 25th, our lowest measure ever. Canada dropped quite dramatically in 2026, from 18th in 2025. Furthermore, a very sharp plummet from 5th in 2015. For the US, they came in at 23rd for 2026 with a minimal recovery from 24th in 2025, which happened to be the US's worse showing ever.

Factors for the above mentioned results are as follows:
1. Youth Happiness Gap: In both countries, the youth (under 25) revealed extreme unhappiness scores.
2. Social Media Impact: For instance, Algorithmic Feeds, which researchers identified as culprits as they encourage toxic social comparisons and loneliness.
3. Cost of Living: Home ownership, rent and day to day expenses (groceries, insurance, gas, tuition, etc) have all risen in cost, making it a greater challenge to meet all of the financial obligations especially for the youth. As a result, financial stressors have increased amongst this age group.

General Trends
1. Decline of English-Speaking Nations: For the second year in a row, no English-speaking countries appeared in the top 10.
2. Youth Well Being: The 2026 report focused heavily on the impact of social media on youth, noting a significant decline in well being among young people in North America and Western Europe.
3. Central and Eastern Europe Rise: Several countries in this region, including Serbia, Bulgaria, and Latvia, showed the largest gains in happiness over the last decade.

January.2026 Real Estate Update - PLUS - We Dig Into the Probable impact of Venezuelan Oil on Alberta’s Energy Sector - https://mailchi.mp/dbe08b84f55b/january2026-real-estate-update-plus-we-dig-into-the-probable-impact-of-venezuelan-oil-on-albertas-energy-sector