India’s Happiness Ranking Dips to 118th; Afghanistan’s Challenges Continue, But What’s Next for the Region?
India Makes Modest Gains in Global Happiness Report, But Still Lags Behind Neighbors
India has made a tepid climb in the 2025 World Happiness Report, rising to 118th position from its 126th rank last year. While the increased ranking is a modest improvement, it hardly diminishes the fact that the country still trails behind several of its neighbors, including Nepal, Pakistan, and Ukraine.
The report, released on International Day of Happiness, examines the global state of happiness and underscores the significance of kindness and sharing on people’s well-being. Finland continues its dominance, topping the list for the eighth consecutive year, followed by Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden. The rankings are based on self-reported life evaluations of respondents, which assess indicators such as life satisfaction, positive emotions, and negative emotions.
India’s ranking remains low, but it performed relatively well in specific measures of benevolence. The country placed 57th for donating, 10th for volunteering, and 74th for helping strangers. These acts of kindness reflect a cultural inclination for collective care, despite systemic challenges. In the South Asian region, Afghanistan remains the unhappiest nation, holding the last spot at 147th.
Nepal and Pakistan outperformed India, securing 92nd and 109th positions, respectively. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh ranked lower, at 133rd and 134th. China’s ranking declined, dropping to 68th from 60th last year. The report’s authors emphasize the importance of social connections and shared experiences in fostering happiness. Sharing meals, for instance, is deemed a universal act that enhances well-being, as people who regularly eat with others tend to report higher levels of happiness.
The findings also reflect the pandemic’s impact on global attitudes toward benevolence. While acts of kindness surged during the COVID-19 era, they diminished in 2024 but remained significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels. The World Happiness Report’s roots date back to Bhutan’s pioneering emphasis on Gross National Happiness. Bhutan’s resolution at the United Nations General Assembly in 2011 laid the foundation for this annual publication, although Bhutan is not included in this year’s rankings. Since its first release in 2012, the report has served as a benchmark for understanding happiness and well-being globally.
The United States saw a significant decline in happiness, plummeting to its lowest-ever ranking at 24th. Increasing trends of solitary dining were attributed to declining well-being in the country. The report also noted the resilience of helping strangers, which remains elevated globally compared to pre-pandemic years, and the enduring value of community-driven initiatives in nurturing happiness. With its emphasis on kindness, sharing, and social connections, the World Happiness Report provides valuable insights for policymakers, individuals, and organizations seeking to cultivate happiness and well-being.
Original Source: https://nenews.in/science/india-climbs-to-118th-in-world-happiness-report-afghanistan-retains-last-place/22032/
Category : Science,Global state of happiness,India,World Happiness Report
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Publish Date: 2025-03-20 16:59:00
