World Happiness Index

Article Title: World Happiness Index

25-03-2025

Social Issues Prelims Plus

Context

Finland is ranked as the happiest country in the world for the eighth consecutive year, and other Nordic countries – Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden, continued to remain in the top four, in that order.

• While Western countries dominated the top 20, especially European nations, Costa Rica and Mexico entered the top 10 for the first time, ranking at 6th and 10th respectively.

Afghanistan is again ranked as the unhappiest country in the world; this year 147th against last year's 143rd rank (last).

• The State of Palestine is ranked 108th (103 in 2024), while Ukraine is at 111 rank (105 in 2024).

India ranked 118 out of 147 countries.

• Among India's neighbouring countries, Sri Lanka was ranked at 133, Bangladesh at 134,Pakistan at 109, Nepal at 92, and China at 68.

AboutWorld Happiness Index

• It is an annual report published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford in partnership with Gallup, the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

• The rankings are based on people’s self-assessed life evaluations.

• It asks respondents to think of a ladder with the best possible life for them being a 10 and the worst being a zero.

• They are then asked to rate their current lives on that scale.

• The study considers 6 explanatory factors for happiness: social support, GDP per capita, health life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and perception of corruption.