The Economist “World Happiness Report” for 2026 was released this week, and it contained good news and bad news: Ireland, you’ll be glad to know, is the 13th happiest country on earth, per public opinion surveys carried out in every country by the American Opinion Pollster Gallup. If you’re a glass half full guy (or gal) then that’s unabashedly good news. If you’re an unreformed pessimist like me, then the obvious question arises: Just how bad can the rest of the world really be, if this is the 13th best place on earth?
In any case, the good news for pessimists abounds: While Ireland is the 13th happiest country in the world, our net happiness has actually fallen, and fallen considerably, since 2012. Indeed, had we simply stayed as happy as we were 14 years ago, we would now be by a clear margin the happiest country on the planet. But alas, there has been a decline:
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