World Happiness Report 2025: Finland No. 1 Again, India Slips Below Pakistan

The World Happiness Report 2025, published on March 20, evaluates countries according to various criteria.

For the eighth year in a row, Finland has been recognized as the happiest country globally, as stated in the World Happiness Report 2025 released on Thursday by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford. Other Nordic countries, including Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden, also maintained their high rankings, underscoring the robust social support systems and quality of life prevalent in these nations.

The World Happiness Report 2025, published on March 20, evaluates countries according to various criteria, including social support, economic stability, health, freedom, generosity, and the level of perceived corruption.

The rankings are derived from individuals’ self-reported evaluations of their lives, gathered through surveys carried out by Gallup in collaboration with the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

India is positioned lower than Pakistan in the happiness index. Specifically, India holds the 118th spot, whereas Pakistan is ranked 109th. The report’s analysis indicates that, despite encountering considerable economic and social difficulties, Pakistan’s higher ranking reflects a greater sense of social support among its population.

India performed strongly in terms of social support, attributed to its community-oriented culture and family dynamics. However, it received a low score in freedom, indicating a limited sense of choice within society. Over the years, India’s ranking has seen progress; it was positioned at 144 in 2012 and achieved its peak ranking of 94 in 2022.

European countries continued to lead the top 20 rankings, but there were some significant changes. For the first time, Costa Rica secured the 6th position, and Mexico claimed the 10th spot in the top 10.

In contrast, the United States experienced a decline, achieving its lowest ranking ever at 24th place. The United Kingdom recorded its lowest happiness score since 2017, placing 23rd in the rankings.

For the fourth year in a row, Afghanistan, which holds the 147th position, continues to be recognized as the least happy country globally. Women in Afghanistan have reported facing especially difficult living circumstances. Other nations that rank low on the happiness scale include Sierra Leone at 146th, Lebanon at 145th, Malawi at 144th, and Zimbabwe at 143rd.

Top 10 happiest countries in 2025:

Finland

Denmark

Iceland

Sweden

Netherlands

Costa Rica

Norway

Israel

Luxembourg

Mexico

Researchers have observed that, in addition to economic and health considerations, fundamental lifestyle aspects—such as communal dining, a reliable support network, and the size of the household—significantly contribute to overall happiness.

For example, the study revealed that in both Mexico and Europe, households consisting of four to five individuals are linked to the greatest levels of happiness. Additionally, the expectation of kindness was identified as an important element: communities where individuals anticipate the return of lost wallets generally report higher levels of happiness.

Bottom five countries:

Zimbabwe (143)

Malawi (144)

Lebanon (145)

Sierra Leone (146)

Afghanistan (147)