Key Highlights
- India’s happiness score improved from 4.054 (2021–23) to 4.389 (2022–24).
- India’s global rank rose from 126th out of 143 countries to 118th out of 147 countries.
- The World Happiness Report 2025, uses three-year averages (2022–2024) for its rankings.
How India and Its Neighbours Fared
| Country | Happiness Score (2022–24) | Previous Score (2021–23) | Change in Rank | Change in Score (vs. 2006–10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 4.39 | 4.05 | Improved from 126th to 118th | -0.58 |
| Pakistan | 4.77 | 4.66 | Dropped from 108th to 109th | -0.37 |
| Nepal | 5.31 | — | — | +0.71 |
| Sri Lanka | 3.89 | — | — | -0.38 |
| Bangladesh | 3.85 | — | — | -0.92 |
Despite economic challenges, Pakistan outscored India with a happiness score of 4.77 but saw its rank decline marginally.
BRICS Happiness Score Comparison
| Country | 2018–20 | 2019–21 | 2020–22 | 2021–23 | 2022–24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 6.33 | 6.29 | 6.13 | 6.27 | 6.49 |
| Russia | 5.48 | 5.46 | 5.66 | 5.78 | 5.95 |
| India | 3.82 | 3.77 | 4.04 | 4.05 | 4.39 |
| China | 5.34 | 5.58 | 5.82 | 5.97 | 5.92 |
| South Africa | 4.96 | 5.19 | 5.27 | 5.42 | 5.21 |
Factors Affecting Happiness Scores
The World Happiness Report bases scores on the Gallup World Poll, asking respondents to rank their current life on a scale from 0 to 10 (worst to best possible life).
Key indicators influencing happiness scores:
- GDP per capita
- Healthy life expectancy
- Social support
- Perceived freedom to make life choices
- Generosity
- Perception of corruption
India-Pakistan Economic & Health Comparison:
- India’s per capita income (2023): $2,480.8 (World Bank)
- Pakistan’s per capita income (2023): $1,365.3
- India’s healthy life expectancy (2021): 58.1 years
- Pakistan’s healthy life expectancy (2021): 56.9 years
While India’s happiness ranking has improved, it still lags behind Pakistan and several neighbouring countries, highlighting challenges in subjective well-being despite stronger economic metrics. The improvement signals progress but also calls for greater focus on social support, health, and perceived freedom to improve the nation’s happiness quotient.
