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India’s and World Happiness Report 2025
Context:
India has made a modest improvement in the latest World Happiness Report (WHR) 2025, moving up from 126th place last year to 118th out of 147 countries.
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- However, it still lags behind several war-affected nations such as Ukraine and Palestine.
- This article explores the key findings of the report, the methodology used to measure happiness, and why India ranks lower than many conflict-ridden countries.
Key Insights from WHR 2025
- Caring and Sharing: The latest WHR, published by the University of Oxford’s Wellbeing Research Centre on March 20 (United Nations’ World Happiness Day), focuses on the impact of “caring and sharing” on people’s overall happiness.
- The study highlights the effects of giving and receiving care, as well as factors like benevolence, kindness, and the long-term impact of COVID-19 on global happiness levels.
- Dropping Wallets: One unique aspect of this year’s study involved researchers dropping wallets in different countries to analyse the rate of return—an indicator of trust and social cooperation—which yielded surprisingly optimistic results.
- Nordic Countries: Nordic countries continued to dominate the rankings, with Finland securing the top spot for the eighth consecutive year.
- Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, and Norway also featured in the top 10.
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- New Debut: Notably, Costa Rica and Mexico made their debut among the top 10, securing the sixth and tenth positions, respectively.
- Others: Other high-ranking nations included the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Israel.
- Taiwan emerged as the happiest Asian country, ranking 27th.
Performance of Economic Superpowers
- Industrial Powers: For the first time since the WHR’s inception in 2012, none of the major industrial powers—China, the U.S., Japan, Germany, and South Korea—were among the top 20.
- Their respective rankings were 68, 24, 55, 22, and 58.
- Western Decline: Additionally, several Western nations have seen a decline in happiness levels over the years.
- Switzerland, which once topped the list in 2015, has slipped to 13th place, while Canada fell from 6th place in 2013 to 18th in 2025.
- Australia, which ranked 10th in 2013, now stands at 11th.
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- The report notes that between 2005 and 2010, Western industrialised countries were generally happier than they are today.
- Of the 42 nations that experienced significant drops in happiness rankings, 15 were from the West, with the U.S., Switzerland, and Canada seeing the steepest declines.
How is Happiness Measured?
- The WHR rankings are primarily based on national self-evaluations of life satisfaction, as measured by the Gallup World Poll.
- Respondents rate their life on a scale of 0 to 10, known as the Cantril ladder, with 10 representing the best possible life and 0 the worst.
- In addition to this central question, the survey also considers responses regarding positive emotions (such as laughter, enjoyment, and interest) and negative emotions (such as worry, sadness, and anger).
- To explain these rankings, the WHR incorporates six key parameters:
- GDP per capita
- Healthy life expectancy
- Social support
- Freedom to make key life decisions
- Generosity
- Perceived corruption in government and business
Why India Ranks Lower Than War-Torn Nations?
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- India’s position at 118 places it above Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Afghanistan within Asia but significantly behind Ukraine (111) and Palestine (108).
- Breaking down India’s rankings across key factors provides some insights:
- Freedom: 23rd place
- Generosity: 51st place
- Perception of corruption: 56th place
- Social support: 128th place
- GDP per capita: 93rd place
- These figures suggest that while Indians feel relatively free and charitable, they experience a lack of social support from both communities and the government.
- Economic struggles further contribute to a lower overall happiness score.
- By contrast, Ukraine ranks much lower than India in terms of freedom (128th place) but fares significantly better in social support and GDP per capita (both ranked 67th).
- Despite being embroiled in conflict, Ukrainians report a strong sense of social cohesion and economic stability compared to India, which has notable disparities in these areas.
Interpreting the WHR Rankings
- Contradictions: A close examination of the rankings reveals some apparent contradictions.
- Several nations facing high crime rates or political instability—such as Mexico, Kosovo, Kazakhstan, and Guatemala—rank among the top 50, while economic powerhouses like China, Japan, and South Korea rank much lower.
- Subjective Nature: This can be explained by the subjective nature of the Cantril ladder.
- Citizens in nations like Kosovo, which has seen steady economic growth, or Guatemala, which has a strong cultural emphasis on faith and resilience, may perceive their quality of life more positively than those in countries with high economic disparities.
- For example, in South Korea, the top 1% of earners make over 700% more than the average worker, leading to widespread dissatisfaction.
- Similarly, Japan’s younger generation faces high stress and anxiety due to a culture of overwork, lowering its overall happiness ranking.
