India is ranked 118th in the 2025 World Happiness Report, below several neighboring countries. The report highlights key factors influencing happiness, including social support and freedom. While India excels in social connectivity, its low rank in freedom suggests areas for growth, contrasting with the higher happiness levels seen in Western nations, particularly Finland.
The 2025 World Happiness Report has ranked India 118th out of 147 countries, a concerning position relative to its neighboring nations. Pakistan, Nepal, and China rank higher at 109, 92, and 68 respectively, while Sri Lanka and Bangladesh follow India at 133 and 134. Finland remains the happiest country, joined in the top three by Denmark and Iceland.
This report, published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford in cooperation with Gallup and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, factors in elements such as social support, GDP per capita, health life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and perceived corruption. Historically, India’s happiness index has fluctuated, with its lowest rank recorded at 144 in 2012, while achieving a peak of 94 in 2022.
Among the six key factors evaluated, India excelled in social support, attributed to strong community bonds and the prevalence of extended family living together. However, its weakest performance was noted in the freedom category, which assesses how individuals perceive their options in life. The primary ranking positions are largely dominated by Western nations, notably from Europe, while Costa Rica and Mexico made noteworthy advances into the top 10, ranking 6th and 10th, respectively.
Conversely, the United States slipped to its historically low rank of 24, and the United Kingdom fell to 23, attributed to rising feelings of unhappiness and loneliness among the populace.
The 2025 World Happiness Report reveals a challenging situation for India regarding happiness levels, ranking 118th among 147 countries, behind several neighbors. While India shows strengths in social support, the low score in personal freedom indicates areas for improvement. In contrast, Finland continues to lead globally in happiness, highlighting significant trends and disparities in well-being across nations.
Original Source: www.timesnownews.com
