Rabat – Morocco ranks 112th out of 147 countries in the 2026 edition of the World Happiness Report.
This position reflects a longer pattern of decline followed by a pause rather than a recovery.
The country reached its strongest result in 2016 at 84th place, but the years that followed brought a steady drop until 2024. Since then, the ranking has stayed the same, pointing to a stable, yet subdued national mood.
The study, prepared by the Wellbeing Research Centre at University of Oxford and released ahead of the International Day of Happiness, measures how people assess their lives.
It combines economic data with factors such as health, personal freedom, generosity, and perceptions of corruption to produce a broader picture of well-being.
Morocco trails regional peers
Within the Middle East and North Africa region, Morocco stands 14th out of 18 countries. Israel leads the region and ranks 8th worldwide, followed by the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
Morocco remains ahead of Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, and Yemen, yet falls behind countries such as Algeria and Tunisia.
At the global level, Finland keeps its position at the top for the ninth year in a row. It is followed by Iceland, Denmark, Costa Rica, and Sweden. At the bottom of the ranking sit countries such as Afghanistan and Sierra Leone.
The report identifies a broader shift. Younger generations now report lower levels of happiness than those recorded fifteen years ago.
This change appears across several regions and suggests that structural pressures, rather than local factors alone, shape how people evaluate their lives.
Digital platforms reshape well-being
This year’s report places strong attention on the role of social media. Researchers draw links between well-being and the way people use digital platforms, especially among younger users.
In the MENA region, between 20% and 40% of adults fall into the category of intensive users.
Morocco sits at the lower end, with around 15%. In contrast, Lebanon approaches 45%. Unlike other countries where intensive use has increased over time, Morocco shows little change, a detail that points to the weight of social and economic conditions beyond digital habits alone.
Heavy use appears more common among specific groups, including younger users, men, and individuals with higher education and income levels.
Passive use raises concern
The report draws attention to how platforms are used rather than how often. People who rely heavily on passive consumption, scrolling through visual content or following influencers, tend to report higher stress and more frequent symptoms linked to depression.
Many also express the sense that their living conditions fall short of those of their parents.
The picture, however, does not look the same everywhere. In parts of Latin America, frequent use aligns with higher well-being.
In contrast, countries such as the US, Germany, Italy, and Spain show the opposite trend, where wider access to high-speed internet and social platforms coincides with weaker mental health indicators.
A stalled trajectory
For Morocco, the latest figures do not point to a sharp decline, but they do not signal improvement either.
The country remains in a middle position globally, with a trajectory that has slowed but not reversed.
The data suggests that economic indicators alone cannot explain how people assess their lives, as social conditions, generational expectations, and digital habits all shape the outcome.
