chargement...
Ranked 112th out of 147 in the 2026 edition of the World Happiness Report, Moroccans remain far from being among the world's happiest populations. The country saw its highest ranking in 2016 at 84th place, but has since experienced a decline until 2024. Since then, Morocco has maintained the same position, reflecting a stagnation in national morale. This trend is not unique to Morocco, as the report's authors note that young people globally are generally less happy than they were 15 years ago.
In the 2025 regional rankings, Morocco is placed in the Middle East and North Africa category, where it ranks 14th out of 18. In this region, Israel (8th globally) leads, followed by the United Arab Emirates (21st), Saudi Arabia (22nd), Kuwait (40th), Bahrain (55th), Oman (58th), Libya (81st), Algeria (83rd), Turkey (94th), Iraq (95th), Iran (97th), Tunisia (105th), and Palestine (109th). Morocco (112th) is ahead of Jordan (119th), Egypt (139th), Lebanon (141st), and Yemen (142nd).
Globally, Finland has held the top spot for nine consecutive years, followed by Iceland (2nd), Denmark (3rd), Costa Rica (4th), and Sweden (5th). Norway (6th), the Netherlands (7th), Israel (8th), Luxembourg (9th), and Switzerland (10th) complete the top ten. The bottom ten countries in the ranking include Eswatini (137th), Tanzania (138th), Egypt (139th), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (140th), Lebanon (141st), Yemen (142nd), Botswana (143rd), Zimbabwe (144th), Malawi (145th), Sierra Leone (146th), and Afghanistan (147th).
The Impact of Digital Platforms on Happiness
The report, compiled by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford ahead of the International Day of Happiness on March 20, evaluates satisfaction and quality of life perceptions, alongside economic performance, health, freedom, generosity, and perceptions of corruption. This edition focuses on the theme of happiness and social media, exploring the links between young people's well-being and their use of digital platforms.
In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the report notes that «intensive use generally concerns between 20% and 40% of the adult population, ranging from about 15% in Morocco to nearly 45% in Lebanon». In countries with data from three survey waves, a progressive increase in intensive users is observed, except in Morocco. This underscores the significant role that social and economic factors play in well-being.
The report highlights Lebanon as an example, where the percentage of heavy platform users rose from 22% in 2018-2019 to 45% in 2023-2024. In Iraq, this figure increased from 12% to 27%. According to the report, «social media use is more prevalent among certain social groups», namely «Generation Z, men, single individuals, those less religious and wealthier, as well as those with higher education levels».
Moreover, intensive users are more likely to «report higher levels of stress and depressive symptoms, and perceive themselves as worse off than their parents, compared to occasional or moderate users». The report notes that this impact varies by region and how social networks are used.
Passive Use Stagnates Well-being
The authors also note that «the proliferation of platforms, the use of social media as the main source of information, and following influencers are associated with increased stress, higher depressive symptoms, and more negative comparisons with the quality of life of older generations». The most problematic formats are those where «use is mainly passive and content is primarily visual (encouraging social comparisons), often from influencers».
However, data from Latin America associates intensive use with «a high level of well-being». This finding contrasts with English-speaking countries, where young intensive users report lower levels of well-being.
Overall, studies conducted in Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United States have linked «the spread of high-speed Internet and social media platforms» to deteriorating mental health, prompting several countries to consider legislative measures to limit use among young people.
