Why is India an unhappy Republic?

The latest World Happiness Report 2025, sponsored by the United Nations, puts India among lowest rung in the global list. In a survey covering 147 countries, India was ranked at a pathetic 118, making it one of the least happy countries in the world.

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The annual report is published in collaboration with Gallup and the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre. Though India has made considerable economic progress over the last few decades, it doesn’t reflect in the Happiness Index. The message here is that India needs to adopt a more focused, people-centric policies that result in fair distribution of economic gains. Instead of trashing the report as “western conspiracy to sully the country’s image”, we must take the findings as a wake-up call and work earnestly to improve the key development indicators.

A sharp and sustained focus on employment, health and social support areas could help the country significantly improve its global standing. The index shows that India’s poor position is mainly because of the rising socioeconomic inequalities, lack of trust in governments and widespread perception of high corruption in political and administrative ranks. It means an average Indian on the street is angry, restive and frustrated. This is despite being a rising economy.



The importance of having a job for happiness is a major factor and holds across all of the world’s regions. The people with a job evaluate the quality of their lives much more favourably than those who are unemployed. The data also shows that rising unemployment negatively affects everyone, even those still employed.



While economic growth is important, it is not the sole determinant of happiness. India needs to focus on holistic development that encompasses social, cultural, and environmental aspects.



Addressing income inequality and promoting inclusivity can create a more equitable and happier society. The UN report emphasises the importance of strong social connections and a sense of belonging. India can focus on strengthening community networks and fostering a sense of solidarity.



A lack of trust in institutions and fellow citizens can negatively impact happiness. There is an urgent need to root out corruption and build trust in government and social structures.




Countries like Finland, Denmark, and Iceland, which consistently rank high in the happiness index, demonstrate the importance of strong social safety nets, high levels of trust, and a focus on overall well-being. India can learn from the Scandinavian model of social welfare, which prioritises the well-being of its citizens instead of blindly following the Western model of development.

Happiness Index report leaves Indians unhappy


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BENGALURU: The recently released World Happiness Report 2025, which placed India at 118 out of 147 countries, has sparked widespread criticism from netizens, including prominent personalities.

Many expressed disbelief over India ranking below Pakistan, Palestine and Ukraine, questioning the methodology used in the assessment.

Spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar voiced his concern, emphasising that India’s ranking should be much higher.

“Having travelled extensively around the world, I feel India’s ranking deserves to be much higher. I disagree with India being placed so low, even below conflict zones. Happiness is not just about bonding; anger and frustration can also create bonds. But when it comes to the happiness index, I feel India is far, far better,” he said and added that on his travels he has observed that human values are much higher in India.

“Compassion, the way people welcome guests and how they share their resources is incredible. If something happens to a family, the entire village comes together to help. This kind of social bonding is very strong,” he said, adding there are issues in the country, but in the last decade, there has been significant improvement.

He also argued that poverty does not necessarily equate to unhappines, citing how even in India’s slums, people exhibit joy and resilience.

The World Happiness Report 2025, prepared by University of Oxford’s Wellbeing Research Centre in collaboration with Gallup and the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, faced backlash across social media.

Netizens questioned the credibility of the index. A user identified as GK pointed out on X: “I wonder what they measure. The suicide rate in Finland is 15.1 per 100k, which is higher than India at 13.4 per 100k. I doubt if happy people love to kill themselves!?”

Another post from Temple Tales read: “Everyone knows that India is a land of happiness; every day here is a festival.”

A post by Ravi Tiwari suggested reading the Happiness Index from bottom to top for a more accurate picture. Another handle listed countries using the highest number of antidepressant pills per 1,000 people, and India was not in the list at all.

Why India Can’t Smile: 118th in the World Happiness Report 2025 Exposes Modi’s Circus

https://youtu.be/-5Ql1wz4cmE?si=meq_-ChDQ99Temwq

India dreams of being a global superpower, but the World Happiness Report 2025 ranks it a pathetic 118th out of 147—closer to Afghanistan than anyone worth bragging about. Narendra Modi’s obsessed with outdoing China, yet tiny nations like Bhutan and Nepal are laughing their happy heads off way above us. What’s the deal? In this savage takedown, we rip into the circus of Modi’s ‘Viksit Bharat’—a $3.7 trillion economy that leaves most broke, corruption at 96th, and a youth drowning in 7-8% unemployment. From Delhi’s smog to rural neglect, India’s a happiness wreck while Modi chases Xi Jinping’s shadow.

Join us at Unpaid Insights as we expose the gap between India’s delusions and reality. Like, comment, and subscribe for more unfiltered rants—share this with your Modi-fan friends and watch them squirm! What do you think—can India ever climb out of 118th with this crew? Drop your thoughts below!

India & Pakistan are safer than the United States. A complete list of world's 10 most dangerous countries for 2025

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The United States ranked 89th on the list of the world’s safest countries for 2025, falling behind both India (66) and Pakistan (65), according to the latest list by Numbeo. A tiny European country Andorra is the best nation for globetrotters concerned with personal security.

To devise the “safety index by country for 2025,” Numbeo rated 146 nations based on the overall level of crime as “derived from surveys conducted by visitors” to their website. Numbeo factored in survey responses about how safe residents feel while walking during the day and night. They also accounted for worries over “mugging, robbery, car theft, physical attacks by strangers, harassment in public places, and discrimination based on factors like skin color, ethnicity, gender or religion.”

Also taken into consideration was the “assessment of the extent of property-related crimes, such as burglary, theft, vandalism” and violent crimes such as assault, homicide and sexual offenses.