Context
The World Happiness Report 2025 unveiled its latest edition, aligning with World Happiness Day (March 20). The 2025 theme, “Caring and Sharing”, emphasizes collective well-being, a concept rooted in a 2012 UN resolution led by Bhutan.
Report Overview
- Published by: Collaborative effort between the University of Oxford’s Wellbeing Research Centre, Gallup, and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
- Methodology: Ranks nations using a three-year average of citizen life evaluations via the Gallup World Poll. Respondents rate their lives on a 0–10 scale (0 = worst, 10 = best).
- Key Metrics:
- Economic output per person
- Access to community support
- Average healthy lifespan
- Personal autonomy
- Philanthropic behavior
- Public trust in institutions
- Top ranking countries
Global Rankings
- Top Performers: Details of leading nations remain under wraps, but the U.S. (24th) and Canada (18th) feature in the top tiers.
- Lowest Rankings: Afghanistan (147th) holds the last position, followed by Sierra Leone (146th), Lebanon (145th), Malawi (144th), and Zimbabwe (143th).
- India’s Position: Ranked 118th, India shows incremental improvements in socio-economic metrics.
- South Asia: Nepal (92nd) leads the region, trailed by Pakistan (109th), Myanmar (126th), Sri Lanka (133rd), and Bangladesh.
