Why is Quebec Canada's happiest province?

Why is Quebec Canada's happiest province?

Quebec once ranked lowest for life satisfaction in Canada. Now it’s the highest in the country

This video was produced as part of the CBC Creator Network. Learn more about the Creator Network here.

What makes people happy? If you’ve paid attention to the World Happiness Report, a fascinating answer emerges.

Those who report the highest levels of life satisfaction are unlikely to be found lounging on a beach, cocktail in hand.

With the exception of Costa Rica, the five happiest nations are highly taxed and extremely cold. Nordic countries consistently lead the pack, with Finland currently in the top spot.

The World Happiness Report rankings are based surveys done between 2023 to 2025 of 147 countries, with about 1,000 respondents per country. It’s published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford. (World Happiness Report)

Then there’s Canada. It ranked 25th in the most recent World Happiness Report.

However, if we were to treat Quebec as its own country, it would rank fifth in the world according to happiness, based on an analysis done by one of the report's authors — surpassing not just the rest of Canada, but numerous other advanced economies, too.

Stats Canada backs this up, too. Data released by the agency says Quebec has the highest life satisfaction in Canada.

In my video for the Creator Network, I speak to experts who study happiness — and Quebecers themselves — to find out why.

Ben Thomas is a clinical psychology PhD student at McGill University and creator of the YouTube channel Sisyphus 55. His work explores psychology, philosophy, and mental health through documentaries and educational videos, with a focus on well-being, meaning, and the social conditions that help people flourish.