Happiness plays a crucial role in overall well-being, influencing both mental and physical health. It helps individuals lead a more fulfilling and positive life. On the occasion of the International Day of Happiness, the United Nations (UN) released the World Happiness Report 2025 on Thursday, evaluating the happiness levels of 147 countries.
In a slight improvement from last year, India has moved up from 126th place in 2024 to 118th in 2025. Despite this progress, India remains less happy than war-torn and crisis-stricken nations such as Ukraine, Mozambique, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Palestine, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Gambia, and Venezuela.
For the eighth consecutive year, Finland has secured the top position as the world's happiest country. This Nordic nation has consistently performed well across key happiness indicators, making it a benchmark for other countries striving to improve their citizens’ well-being.
The World Happiness Report is based on comprehensive analysis of how people rate their quality of life in different countries. According to the report's authors, factors such as sharing meals, social support systems, and household size significantly contribute to happiness.
The belief in the kindness of others plays a more significant role in happiness than previously thought.
A strong predictor of happiness is whether people believe others will return their lost wallet if found.
19% of young adults worldwide reported in 2023 that they have no one to count on for social support, marking a 39% increase since 2006.
The rankings are based on self-assessed life evaluations, averaged over 2022 to 2024.
India’s happiness score has improved to 4.389 this year. The 2025 report highlighted significant improvements in Ranking by Life Evaluations, influenced by factors such as:
GDP per capita
Social support
Healthy life expectancy
Freedom to make life choices
Generosity
Perception of corruption
Dystopia index
Despite overall progress, generosity and corruption perception continue to negatively impact India's happiness levels.
In 2024, India ranked 126th out of 143 countries with a happiness score of 4.054.
In 2024, Pakistan was ranked 108th with a score of 4.657, while Nepal ranked 93rd (5.158), and Myanmar stood at 118th (4.354).
Finland topped the 2024 charts with a score of 7.741, while the United States scored 6.725.
In 2024, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan fared worse than India in happiness rankings.
The 2024 report revealed that:
Indians aged 30-44 were the least happy, with a significant drop in their happiness score.
Young Indians (below 30) were the happiest, scoring 4.281 (2021-2023).
The report also evaluated countries based on benevolence, using six key measures:
Frequency of benevolent acts:
Donating
Volunteering
Helping a stranger
Perceived benevolence of others:
Likelihood of a lost wallet being returned by:
A neighbor
A stranger
A police officer
Cantril Ladder (118)
Donated (57)
Volunteered (10)
Helped a stranger (74)
Wallet returned by neighbor (115)
Wallet returned by stranger (86)
Wallet returned by police (93)
Nordic nations dominated the rankings in terms of expected and actual wallet returns, showcasing their strong culture of trust and generosity.
The report revealed that:
Countries like India, Mexico, and Egypt have shown improvement in social connections among young adults.
Social connections play a vital role in determining an individual’s happiness.
The report highlighted the concept of 'Deaths of Despair', which includes preventable deaths due to suicide, alcohol abuse, and drug overdose.
According to the report:
“The WHO Mortality Database does not include death statistics for all countries. Some do not report their mortality data to the WHO and some send data that are not in standard ICD or do not have ICD codes at all. In other countries, such as China and India, the total deaths reported to the WHO represent less than 5% of the population of the country, hence their data is deemed unreliable and not made available on the WHO Mortality Database.”
This highlights the lack of comprehensive data on certain well-being indicators in large nations like India and China.
The World Happiness Report 2025 highlights both progress and persistent challenges in India's pursuit of greater well-being. While India has improved its ranking from 126th in 2024 to 118th in 2025, the report underscores key areas that need attention, such as social support, generosity, and corruption perception, which continue to impact the country’s overall happiness score.
Despite economic growth and an increase in digital connectivity, India still ranks lower than some conflict-ridden nations, reflecting the need for stronger mental health awareness, community engagement, and social security measures. The report also reinforces the importance of kindness, social bonds, and institutional trust in shaping a nation's happiness.
Going forward, enhancing financial stability, improving governance, strengthening social connections, and fostering a culture of well-being can significantly boost India’s ranking. As other nations invest in policies prioritizing citizen happiness, India must also take proactive steps to bridge the gap and ensure a healthier, happier future for its people.