Why in the News
- Recently, World Happiness Report 2025 by Wellbeing Research Centre at Oxford was released, ranking nations by citizen well-being.
- Finland secured first position for eighth consecutive year, while India ranked at 118th position with score of 4.389 out of 10.
- Paradoxically, Pakistan ranked higher at 109th despite economic instability and repeated IMF bailouts, presenting a contrasting picture against economic metrics.
Background and Context
- The World Happiness Report 2025, prepared by Wellbeing Research Centre at Oxford, uses the Gallup World Poll’s Cantril Ladder, where individuals rate life on a scale of 0 to 10.
- Ratings are linked with six variables: GDP per capita, social support, life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and corruption perception.
- India, with $3.7 trillion GDP, the world’s fifth-largest economy, a booming digital economy, and expanding infrastructure, ranks lower than Pakistan, whose $375 billion GDP survives on repeated bailouts.
- This raises the question whether happiness reflects economic progress, perception, or social and emotional factors.
KEY FINDINGS OF THE REPORT
- Finland, Denmark, Iceland and Sweden have been placed at the top of global happiness rankings, driven largely by deep social trust and strong welfare systems.
- India’s score has been recorded as 4.389/10, with an average global ranking of 124 over recent years, indicating persistent issues related to perception, trust, and social cohesion.
- Pakistan has been ranked 109, despite political instability and repeated IMF bailouts, highlighting the paradox of countries with weak economic indicators scoring higher on subjective wellbeing.
Analysis of Metrics and Paradoxes
Limitations of Happiness Metrics
- Perceptions used in Cantril Ladder were described as slippery, because expectations shaped responses strongly.
- Low-expectation societies tended to show higher happiness due to adaptation to hardship, which created misleading comparison with aspirational democracies.
- Increasing media scrutiny, public debates, and rising civic expectations in India reduced perceived satisfaction even though objective well-being indicators improved.
Trust–Happiness Nexus
- Report asserted that belief in community kindness and social trust predicted happiness more reliably than income.
- United States, despite high wealth, fell to rank 24, indicating detachment between material prosperity and subjective well-being.
- Nordic nations continued to perform strongly because deep institutional trust compensated for high taxation and rigid welfare frameworks.
India’s Social Disconnect
- Report found that 19% of global young adults reported no one to rely on, which marked 39% increase since 2006, signifying rising global loneliness.
- Migration, urbanisation, and digital lifestyles were reshaping Indian relationships, creating condition described as prosperity without proximity.
CRITICISMS AND PERCEPTION BIAS
Bias in Global Indices
- 2022 Economic Advisory Council to Prime Minister report by Sanjeev Sanyal and Aakanksha Arora stated that Freedom House and V-Dem relied on small groups of Western experts whose opaque methodologies introduced bias.
- Such frameworks enabled one-party systems to appear freer due to suppressed dissent and media-controlled regimes to appear stable because citizens voiced fewer complaints.
Penalty for Democratic Openness
- Democratic cacophony, openness, and public criticism in India reduced perception-based scores compared to closed systems where dissent remained invisible.
- Report risked valuing calm conformity over democratic expression, thereby penalising vibrant democracies.
India’s Happiness Trajectory
Volatility in India’s Ranking – Historical Fluctuations
- India’s position fluctuated between 94 and 144 during past decade due to changing socio-political climate.
- India saw best performance in 2022 due to post-COVID recovery and wide outreach of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana.
- Worst phase was seen in 2012, marked by corruption scandals and economic slowdown.
Institutional vs. Informal Trust
- India displayed uneven governance quality, resulting in weak institutional trust, but local trust and familial networks remained resilient.
- COVID-19 lockdown revealed strength of community bonds, as migrant workers returned to villages for emotional security, not merely for survival.
- Urban cities failed to provide security that community offered.
- Finland demonstrated strong institutional trust, reflected by belief that lost wallet would be returned, which acted as symbol of societal reliability.
- Report carried WEIRD bias (Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich, Democratic), which emphasised individualistic institutional trust and overlooked collective trust networks that shaped Indian society.
EVOLVING TRENDS IN INDIA
- Nation was seen undergoing cultural shift with increasing focus on mental health, workplace well-being, and inclusion.
- Initiatives such as Tele-MANAS and Mind India placed emotional resilience on policy agenda.
- Mental health was no longer perceived as luxury but seen as core governance concern.
WAY FORWARD
Rebuilding Social Capital
- India was advised to invest in community spaces to facilitate meaningful social interactions and stronger bonds.
- Shared meals were recommended to revive cultural belonging and enhance emotional connections.
- Inter-generational ties were encouraged because such relationships strengthened support structures across age groups.
- Report highlighted that household size and belief in community kindness had significant positive effect on happiness.
Restoring Institutional Trust
- Citizen–state interfaces were recommended to be simplified to reduce administrative burdens and restore confidence in public systems.
- Transparent delivery of public services, especially in sectors such as ration distribution and transport ticketing, was highlighted as method to rebuild trust.
Recognising Mental Health as Economic Priority
- Mental health investment was recommended to be treated as essential economic policy because productivity gains were directly linked with psychological well-being.
- World Health Organization estimated return of four dollars for every one dollar invested in mental health, underscoring economic value of such interventions.
CONCLUSION
- India’s ranking was portrayed as reflection of rising aspirations, self-critical democratic culture, and desire for deeper social connections, not indicator of collective unhappiness.
- Nation was depicted as restless, ambitious, and unfinished, continuing pursuit of truer idea of happiness grounded in stronger trust networks, improved governance, and emotional well-being.
