On the occasion of the United Nations International Day of Happiness, a UN report has placed India behind Pakistan, China, and Iraq in terms of peace and happiness. The World Happiness Report 2025 has been officially released by the UN.
According to the latest 2025 World Happiness Report, India has made slight progress in its happiness ranking, moving from 126th place in 2024 to 118th place. However, despite this improvement, India’s ranking remains lower than that of several conflict-affected countries, including Ukraine, Mozambique, and Iraq. The most striking paradox is that India has been ranked below Pakistan, China, Iraq, and even Nepal.
The report highlights that Pakistan witnessed over 5,500 terrorist attacks in 2024, while India recorded none. Despite this stark contrast, Pakistan still ranked higher than India in the happiness index, raising questions about the methodology behind the rankings.
For the eighth consecutive year, Finland has maintained its position as the world’s happiest country. The UN claims that the rankings are based on evaluations of living standards and public opinions collected from over 140 countries.
The Happiness Index is determined based on various factors, including:
Social support
Health and life expectancy
Freedom of choice
Generosity
Perception of corruption
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, Interestingly, even Israel, a country currently engaged in war, has secured the 8th position in the rankings.
Top 10 Happiest Countries in the World (2025)
1, Finland
2, Denmark
3, Iceland
4, Sweden
5, Netherlands
6, Costa Rica
7, Norway
8, Israel
9, Luxembourg
10, Mexico
Among India’s neighboring countries, the rankings are as follows:
Nepal – 92nd place
Pakistan – 109th place
China – 68th place
Sri Lanka – 133rd place
Bangladesh – 134th place
The report continues to spark debate over the criteria used to evaluate happiness across different nations.
