The 2025 World Happiness Report ranks India 118th out of 147 countries, lower than neighboring Pakistan and Nepal. The report highlights India’s strong social support but low freedom score. Finland retains the title of the happiest country, while the US and UK show declines in happiness levels.
The 2025 World Happiness Report, published on March 20, ranks India 118th among 147 countries. This report is a collaborative effort by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, Gallup, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and an independent editorial board. Notably, India’s rank falls below that of neighboring countries such as Pakistan (109), Nepal (92), Sri Lanka (133), and Bangladesh (134), while China is notably higher at 68. Finland remains the happiest country, followed by Denmark and Iceland.
India’s trajectory in the World Happiness Report has varied greatly. Its current ranking of 118 marks a decline from its highest position of 94 in 2022, with the lowest ever recorded at 144 in 2012, according to a report by Hindustan Times. The 2025 report evaluates countries based on essential factors that influence happiness, including social support, GDP per capita, health life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and perceptions of corruption.
In the report, India excels in social support, attributed to its large population and strong community ties. However, its weakest area is freedom, which assesses how much choice individuals feel they have in their lives. The analysis also highlights levels of positive and negative emotions across each surveyed nation.
Western countries dominate the upper rankings of the report, particularly in Europe. Nevertheless, Costa Rica and Mexico achieved commendable positions, ranking 6th and 10th respectively. In contrast, both the United States and the United Kingdom have experienced declines, with the US at its lowest rank of 24 and the UK at 23, the lowest since 2017, largely due to rising feelings of unhappiness and loneliness.
In conclusion, the 2025 World Happiness Report indicates that India ranks 118th out of 147 countries, below its neighboring countries. While India scores well on social support, it struggles with perceptions of freedom. The report highlights a trend among Western nations and notes declining happiness levels in both the United States and the United Kingdom. Overall, the findings underscore the complex factors influencing happiness across different societies.
Original Source: www.timesnownews.com
