World Happiness Report 2026: India Rank, Global Trends & Top Countries

The World Happiness Report 2025 was released by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, in collaboration with Gallup, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and an independent editorial board.

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About World Happiness Index

• It is a global ranking of happiness based on self-reported life evaluations from Gallup surveys.
• Origin : It was published for the first time  in 2012.
• Publisher: Released annually by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford in partnership with Gallup and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
• Criteria for Ranking: The index ranks countries based on six key factors:
  • GDP per capita (economic prosperity)
  • Social support (sense of community and trust)
  • Healthy life expectancy
  • Freedom to make life choices
  • Generosity (charitable activities)
  • Perception of corruption (trust in governance)

Global Highlights

• Finland has been ranked the happiest country in the world for the ninth consecutive year.
• Nordic countries continue to dominate the top positions in the rankings.
• Heavy social media use is reported to be harming young people’s well‑being in many countries.

India’s Position

• India is ranked 116th out of 147 countries, a slight improvement from 118th in 2025.
• This ranking reflects challenges in social support, perceptions of corruption, and life evaluations compared to higher‑ranked nations.

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Social Media and Happiness

• The report highlights a negative correlation between extensive social media use and well‑being, especially among teenage girls.
• Girls aged 15 who use social media for five hours or more report significantly lower life satisfaction.
• Young people who use social media for less than one hour per day report the highest levels of well‑being, even higher than those who do not use social media at all.
• Life evaluations among under‑25s in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have dropped sharply in the past decade, while youth in other regions report better outcomes.

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