Why in the News?

India has improved its position in the World Happiness Report 2025, climbing to 118th place among 147 countries, up from 126th last year.

About the World Happiness Index (WHI)

The WHI is part of the World Happiness Report, a global survey conducted by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), an initiative of the United Nations.
The report ranks countries based on citizens’ self-reported happiness, focusing on life satisfaction and overall well-being.
The rankings are primarily based on data gathered from the Gallup World Poll, where individuals rate their own lives on a 0-10 scale using the Cantril Ladder method.
6 key factors influence these evaluations:

Top Countries: Finland remains the happiest country for the eighth consecutive year. Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden are also in the top ranks. Costa Rica (6th) and Mexico (10th) entered the top 10 for the first time. Israel ranked 8th despite conflicts.
Declining Happiness in Western Nations: The United States dropped to 24th, and the United Kingdom fell to 23rd, with both countries experiencing increased social isolation.
Least Happy Countries: Afghanistan remains the least happy, with Sierra Leone and Lebanon also in the bottom three.
India’s Improvement:
India improved its ranking from 126th to 118th, with its happiness score rising from 4.054 to 4.389.
- Despite its economic growth, technological advancements, and improvements in healthcare and education, it continues to rank lower than its neighboring countries like Pakistan (109th).

[UPSC 2004] Human Development Index comprises literacy rates, life expectancy at birth and-

(a) Gross Domestic Product per head in US dollars

(b) Gross National Product per head in US dollars

(d) National Income per head in US dollars