Canadian passport is among the strongest, but Canada is outside top 10 countries for happiness

OTTAWA — A new international ranking has revealed a notable contradiction for Canada. The country has a strong passport that gives its citizens wide freedom to travel around the world, but it did not make the top 10 in an index that combines happiness, freedoms, quality of life and passport strength.

According to a report issued by Global Citizen Solutions, Canada ranked 15th out of the 50 countries covered by the study, with 79.3 points out of 100.

Canada placed behind several European countries, as well as New Zealand, Australia and Costa Rica, but ahead of the United States, which ranked 28th.

The report raises an important question about the relationship between holding a strong passport and feeling satisfied with life, stressing that ease of travel does not necessarily mean a higher level of happiness.

Canada ranks 15th globally

Canada received an overall score of 79.3 points in the 2026 Happy Passports index, which combines four main aspects.

The country recorded mixed results in the areas the ranking relies on:

• Wellbeing and life satisfaction: 67.2 out of 100
• Freedoms within the country: 83.3 out of 100
• Freedom to travel and move: 92.4 out of 100
• Prosperity, health and safety: 74.4 out of 100
• Overall score: 79.3

These results show that the strength of the Canadian passport is one of the country's main strengths.

By contrast, the wellbeing and life satisfaction score was notably lower than the freedom of movement score.

This suggests that the ability to travel and live abroad does not by itself reflect how satisfied residents are with their day-to-day living conditions.

Finland tops the global ranking

Finland ranked first with 93.2 points out of 100, followed by Iceland with 92.4 points and Denmark with 92.1 points.

The top 10 countries were ranked as follows:

1. Finland: 93.2
2. Iceland: 92.4
3. Denmark: 92.1
4. Norway: 89.3
5. Switzerland: 88.3
6. Sweden: 88.2
7. Netherlands: 86.2
8. New Zealand: 84.4
9. Austria: 83.8
10. Singapore: 82.8

The dominance of Northern European countries reflects their strong performance on wellbeing, freedoms and living conditions.

It also shows that passport strength carries more weight in the overall score when it is combined with high levels of life satisfaction.

Canada ahead of the United States by a wide margin

The ranking showed Canada ahead of its neighbour the United States, which placed 28th with 70.7 points.

The gap between the two countries in the overall score was 8.6 points.

Canada also finished ahead of other countries, including Spain, the United Kingdom, France and Japan.

However, it came behind Costa Rica, which ranked 13th with 80.9 points, and Malta, which ranked 14th with 79.6 points.

The results reflect clear differences between countries in levels of wellbeing, freedoms and mobility opportunities, even among those with advanced economies.

Does a strong passport make citizens happier?

The report concluded that the relationship between passport strength and happiness is not direct.

A strong travel document may offer wider opportunities to travel, study, work and live in other countries.

But these advantages do not necessarily guarantee that citizens feel satisfied with their lives in their own country.

The study noted that some countries with strong passports recorded relatively lower levels of life satisfaction.

They include Malta, Portugal, Japan, Spain and Greece.

By contrast, Latin American countries, including Costa Rica, showed high levels of life satisfaction relative to their economic strength or the travel options their passports provide.

Researcher Laura Madrid of Global Citizen Solutions said the link between happiness and freedoms is stronger than the link between happiness and passport strength in wealthier countries.

Four criteria determine the ranking

The index assessed 50 countries chosen for their geographic diversity and their importance in international mobility and migration.

The criteria were weighted equally across four areas, each making up 25 per cent of the final score.

The first criterion covers how residents rate their lives and their personal level of satisfaction.

The second measures individuals' freedom to make their own decisions and the civil rights available to them.

The third relates to passport strength and the destinations its holder can reach.

The fourth combines income level, health, safety and stability.

This approach shows that the index does not rank passports solely on the number of destinations available for travel, but measures a wider set of conditions linked to life and opportunity.

What do the results mean for Canadians?

Canada's result indicates that holding one of the world's strong travel documents provides important advantages for citizens, particularly in international mobility.

But the wellbeing score of 67.2 points shows that passport strength alone is not enough to secure a high position in an index that combines happiness and quality of life.

The report stresses that freedom to move to another country is an additional opportunity, while life satisfaction is tied to broader factors, including social conditions, freedoms, health and stability.

As a result, Canada holds a relatively high position in the new ranking, but remains outside the top 10 despite receiving a high score for freedom of movement.