The World Happiness Report 2025 ranks Finland as the happiest country. Check India’s ranking, global happiness trends, and key influencing factors.
theIAShub | 22 Mar, 2025 | 149 | 0
The United Nations recently released the World Happiness Report 2025, highlighting the impact of caring and sharing on people’s happiness. This year, Finland has been declared the happiest country out of 143 countries. The Nordic countries continue to dominate the top positions, with Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden maintaining their respective rankings in the top four spots.
The World Happiness Report 2025 was released on March 20, which is also the International Day of Happiness. This day was established by the United Nations General Assembly on June 28, 2012, to remind people worldwide about the importance of happiness in their lives.
| International Day of Happiness
The International Day of Happiness is celebrated every year on March 20. The United Nations recognizes happiness as a fundamental human goal and encourages countries to create policies that promote well-being. The theme for 2025 is ‘Caring and Sharing’, emphasizing kindness and generosity. |
The World Happiness Report is an annual report that ranks countries based on the happiness of their people. It is published by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN SDSN) in partnership with Gallup and the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford.
Happiness is measured using surveys where people rate their own lives on a scale from 0 to 10, with 0 being the worst possible life and 10 being the best. The study considers six key factors:
The report found that happiness is influenced not only by economic and health factors but also by social connections and support systems. Some key findings include:
The happiest countries in the world are:
| Rank | Country |
| 1 | Finland |
| 2 | Denmark |
| 3 | Iceland |
| 4 | Sweden |
| 5 | Netherlands |
| 6 | Norway |
| 7 | Switzerland |
| 8 | Israel |
| 9 | Luxembourg |
| 10 | Australia |
Afghanistan remains the unhappiest country in the world, with Afghan women reporting especially difficult living conditions.
The bottom five countries on the list are:
139th – Zimbabwe
140th – Malawi
141st – Lebanon
142nd – Sierra Leone
143rd – Afghanistan (unhappiest country)
India has improved its ranking from 126 in 2024 to 108 in 2025. However, India is ranked lower than some conflict-affected countries like Ukraine, Iran, Iraq, and Pakistan.
India’s happiness score has fluctuated over the years:
2012 – Ranked 144th (lowest ranking)
2022 – Ranked 94th (highest ranking)
2025 – Ranked 108th
Among India’s neighbouring countries:
Sri Lanka – 129th
Bangladesh – 130th
Pakistan – 107th
Nepal – 91st
China – 67th
The World Happiness Report 2025 highlights that happiness is about more than just money. Social connections, kindness, and a sense of belonging play a huge role. While some countries continue to rank high, there is still work to be done in many parts of the world to improve overall happiness.
It is measured through self-evaluation surveys, where people rate their happiness, combined with factors like GDP per capita, social support, and life expectancy.
Afghanistan ranks 143rd, making it the unhappiest country in the world.
India ranks 108th, an improvement from last year.
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