Brazil ranks 7th among the 29 countries on the Ipsos Happiness Report 2026 list, a global survey that measures the population’s happiness levels.
Among the approximately 1,000 Brazilians interviewed, four in five (80%) declare themselves happy or very happy – the global average is 74% of the population.
Here, 28% of respondents say they are very happy; 52% happy; 15% not very happy; and 5% say they are not happy at all – the global averages are 18%, 56%, 22% and 5%, respectively.
For Brazilians, feeling loved is what contributes most to happiness (34%), followed by physical and mental health (31%), relationships with family and children (29%), feeling in control of one’s own life (29%), and feeling that life has meaning (27%).
Globally, 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%)
Mexico (83%)
Colombia (83%)
Malaysia (81%)
Thailand (81%)
Brazil (80%)
Australia (78%)
Spain (77%)
Belgium (77%)
Ireland (77%)
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%)
Turkey (59%)
South Korea (57%)
Hungary (54%)
Age and income affect happiness
The research also shows that, in general, happiness starts high in youth, declines around age 50 and then rises again, reaching its peak after 70. In Brazil, for example, the sum of those aged 50 to 74 who say they are “very happy” and “quite happy” corresponds to 82%, the highest average by age group.
The data also show a correlation between income and happiness. People with higher incomes tend to be happier (79%) than those with lower incomes (67%). In the study, the sample of respondents in our country was more urban, more educated and/or with higher income than the Brazilian population as a whole.
Financial situation was cited as an important factor by all generations in the national territory, in the following order: Baby Boomers (68%), Generation X (62%), Millennials (49%) and Generation Z (49%).
“No 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, Director of Research at Ipsos, the company that gathered the data.
The study was conducted in 29 countries between December 24, 2025 and January 9, 2026. A total of 23,268 adults were interviewed. The data are weighted so that the composition of the sample in each country better reflects the demographic profile of the adult population, according to the most recent census data.
