Priyanka Tiwari
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Finland has once again been named the world’s happiest country, marking its eighth consecutive year at the top, according to the World Happiness Report 2025. The report, released on March 20 to coincide with the International Day of Happiness, ranks 147 countries based on various well-being indicators.
India Climbs, But Remains Outside Top 100
India showed marginal improvement, moving up from 126th place in 2024 to 118th in 2025. Despite the gain, the country remains well outside the top 100. Surprisingly, war-affected countries like Israel (ranked 8) and Ukraine (ranked 111) fared better than India.
Pakistan, although financially unstable, also scored higher, ranking 109th—a drop from its previous 108th position but still ahead of India.
India's Benevolence Ranking More Encouraging
While India’s overall happiness rank is low, it performed better in specific benevolence-related indicators:
- Volunteering: 10th
- Donating: 57th
- Helping a Stranger: 74th
- Returning a Lost Wallet (by neighbor): 115th
- Returned by Stranger: 86th
- Returned by Police: 93rd
These findings suggest stronger community values and civic behavior in specific areas.
Global Highlights from the Report
- Afghanistan remains the unhappiest country, followed by Sierra Leone and Lebanon.
- Nordic countries continue to dominate both in happiness scores and social trust measures like returning lost wallets.
- Bhutan, known for promoting Gross National Happiness, was not included in this year's rankings.
- United States fell to 24th place, its lowest ever. It dropped out of the top 20 in 2024 and has seen a 53% increase in people dining alone over the last two decades, which the report links to declining happiness levels.
Caring and Sharing Impact Happiness
The 13th edition of the report emphasizes the positive influence of caring, sharing, and trust in society. For instance, believing others would return a lost wallet is shown to be a strong predictor of overall happiness in a country.
