Canadians are feeling a little better about life this year.
The 2026 Happiness Index by Leger puts the national score at 70.5 out of 100, up 1.8 points from 2025. Fewer people also say their happiness has declined, falling to 23 per cent from 28 per cent last year. Another 25 per cent report feeling happier, while 52 per cent say their well-being has stayed about the same.
Ranking Of Canada’s Top 10 Largest Cities:
Among Canada’s largest cities, Montreal takes first place in 2026 with a score of 72.7, gaining 3.3 points from last year. Brampton posted the biggest improvement among the 10 largest cities, climbing five points to 71.7, while Toronto rose 3.6 points to 69.4.
- Montreal, Quebec: 72.7
- Brampton, Ontario: 71.7
- Toronto, Ontario: 69.4
- Vancouver, British Columbia: 69.0
- Hamilton, Ontario: 68.7
- Mississauga, Ontario: 68.7
- Calgary, Alberta: 68.6
- Ottawa, Ontario: 68.3
- Edmonton, Alberta: 67.7
- Winnipeg, Manitoba: 67.2
How the provinces rank:
Quebec remains the happiest province. Its score rose 2.1 points to 74.5, well above the 69.3 average for the rest of Canada.
- Quebec: 74.5
- Newfoundland and Labrador: 71.0
- New Brunswick: 70.3
- Saskatchewan: 69.8
- Ontario: 69.6
- Manitoba: 69.3
- British Columbia: 69.0
- Alberta: 68.5
- Nova Scotia: 67.7
- Prince Edward Island: 67.6
Manitoba recorded the largest provincial improvement, gaining 2.6 points, followed by Ontario at 2.4 points. Nova Scotia was the only province to decline, slipping 0.5 points.
The report says “a happy city is first and foremost a place where people feel good every day,” with safety, access to nature and neighbourhood quality emerging as important factors.
Canada also narrowly edges the United States, which scored 70.0. Still, Americans reported slightly higher optimism at 70.5 compared with 67.7 in Canada.
The 2026 Happiness Index surveyed 63,710 Canadians and 6,408 Americans aged 18 and older through Leger’s LEO panel from June 9 to 29, 2026. Results were weighted by gender, age and region. Additional omnibus surveys of 1,528 Canadians and 1,015 Americans ran June 26 to 28 for supplementary questions only.
Happiness Index 2026: Happiness Is Up Across Canada