Brazil occupies 7th place among the 29 countries on the list of the Ipsos Happiness Report 2026, a global survey that measures the population’s happiness levels.
Among the approximately 1,000 Brazilians interviewed, four out of five (80%) declared themselves happy or very happy – the global average is 74% of the population.
Here, 28% of those interviewed say they are very happy; 52%, happy; 15%, not very happy; and 5% say they are not happy at all – the global average is 18%, 56%, 22% and 5%, respectively.
Continues after advertising
For Brazilians, feeling loved is what most contributes to happiness (34%), followed by physical and mental health (31%), relationships with family and children (29%), feeling in control of one’s life (29%) and feeling that life has meaning (27%).
On the global stage, there was a general improvement in the perception of happiness: this year, citizens were happier in 25 of the 29 countries surveyed.
The countries with the highest percentage of happy people are Indonesia (86%), the Netherlands (84%), Mexico (83%) and Colombia (83%).
See the ranking of the happiest countries:
Indonesia (86%)
Netherlands (84%)
Continues after advertising
Mexico (83%)
Colombia (83%)
Malaysia (81%)
Continues after advertising
Thailand (81%)
Brazil (80%)
Australia (78%)
Continues after advertising
Spain (77%)
Belgium (77%)
Ireland (77%)
Continues after advertising
Chile (75%)
South Africa (75%)
France (74%)
Sweden (74%)
Poland (74%)
Peru (74%)
Canada (74%)
Singapore (73%)
United States (73%)
Germany (72%)
India (72%)
Great Britain (72%)
Argentina (72%)
Italy (70%)
Japan (63%)
Türkiye (59%)
South Korea (57%)
Hungary (54%)
Age and income affect happiness
Research also shows that, overall, happiness starts high in youth, declines around age 50, and then rises again, peaking after age 70. In Brazil, for example, the sum of those who are between 50 and 74 years old and say they are “very happy” and “quite happy” corresponds to 82%, the highest average by age group.
The data also shows a correlation between income and happiness. People with higher incomes tend to be happier (79%) than those with lower incomes (67%). In the survey, the sample of respondents in our country was more urban, more educated and/or with higher income than the Brazilian population as a whole.
The financial situation was cited as an important factor by all generations nationwide, in the following order: Baby Boomers (68%), Generation X (62%), Millennials (49%) and Generation Z (49%).
“It doesn’t matter your age, where you live or how much you earn. If you are unhappy, your personal finances are the most likely cause of that unhappiness”, says Lucymara Andrade, research director at Ipsos, the company that gathered the data.
The survey was carried out in 29 countries between December 24, 2025 and January 9, 2026. In total, 23,268 adults were interviewed. The data is weighted so that the composition of each country’s sample better reflects the demographic profile of the adult population, according to the most recent census data.
