The 2025 World Happiness Report places India at 118th among 147 countries, lagging behind its neighbors like Pakistan and Nepal. While India sees strengths in social support, it scores low on freedom. Finland remains the happiest nation with Western countries dominating the top rankings, though some like the U.S. and U.K. have seen declines in happiness.
The 2025 edition of the World Happiness Report has ranked India at 118th out of 147 countries. This report, developed by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford in collaboration with Gallup and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, illustrates how India lags behind several neighboring nations such as Pakistan (109th), Nepal (92nd), China (68th), Sri Lanka (133rd), and Bangladesh (134th). Finland maintains its status as the happiest country, followed closely by Denmark and Iceland in the top three rankings.
India’s position in the World Happiness Report has seen significant variations over time. Despite being currently ranked 118, the country reached its lowest ranking of 144 in 2012 and its highest ranking of 94 in 2022, according to reports from the Hindustan Times.
The 2025 report evaluates countries based on six key factors affecting happiness: social support, GDP per capita, health life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and perceptions of corruption. Additionally, it takes into account both positive and negative emotional states experienced in each surveyed country.
India exhibited a strong performance in terms of social support, attributed to its vast population, robust communal ties, and the common practice of multigenerational living arrangements. However, it scored poorly in the dimension of freedom, which assesses individuals’ perceptions regarding their choices and the impact of these choices on life fulfillment.
The upper echelons of the ranking are primarily dominated by Western nations, particularly in Europe. Nevertheless, Costa Rica and Mexico made notable advancements, ranking 6th and 10th, respectively. In contrast, the United States reached its lowest ranking at 24th, while the United Kingdom dipped to 23rd, their lowest since 2017, suggesting a concerning trend of increasing unhappiness and loneliness.
The 2025 World Happiness Report highlights India’s position as 118th, indicating challenges in areas such as freedom, even as it excels in social support. The report underscores a broader trend of declining happiness across several Western nations. With Finland continuing as the happiest country, it becomes evident that various social and emotional factors contribute significantly to national happiness rankings.
Original Source: www.timesnownews.com
