The United Nation’s Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) has recently released its seventh annual World Happiness Report. Every year, the report ranks 156 countries based on how content their citizens claim to be. In this 2019 edition, the emphasis was on “Happiness and Community,” examining changes in happiness over the past 12 years and the impacts of information technology, governance, and social norms on communities. The ranking hinges on six variables linked to well-being: income, freedom to make life options, trust, healthy life expectancy, social support, and generosity.
The Methodology
The World Happiness Report is developed using data from the Gallup World Poll. Countries are judged according to citizens’ responses to a battery of questions. These results are then compared with additional elements, including GDP and social security, to provide a comprehensive picture of each country’s happiness level.
Trends in Worldwide Happiness
According to the report, global happiness has witnessed a decline in recent years. This trend can largely be attributed to a significant drop in India’s ranking, which plummeted to 140th place in 2019 from 133rd place the previous year. Besides, there has been a noticeable surge in negative emotions across the globe, notably worry, sadness, and anger.
Biggest Changes
India was one of the five countries that experienced the most substantial dip in the index since 2008. The others included Yemen, Syria, Botswana, and Venezuela. On the brighter side, Finland topped the list for the second consecutive year, with Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and the Netherlands trailing closely behind.
Ranking of India and Its Neighbors
When compared with its neighboring countries, India’s position appeared less impressive. Pakistan ranked 67th, Bangladesh 125th, Bhutan 95th, Sri Lanka 130th, and China bagged the 93rd spot.
| Country | Rank |
|---|---|
| Pakistan | 67th |
| Bangladesh | 125th |
| Bhutan | 95th |
| Sri Lanka | 130th |
| China | 93rd |
Least Happy Countries
The report indicated that South Sudanese citizens were most discontent with their lives, followed by those residing in the Central African Republic (155), Afghanistan (154), Tanzania (153), and Rwanda (152).
About SDSN
The Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) was established in 2012 with the objective of leveraging global scientific and technological expertise in favor of practical problem-solving for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement. The United Nations Secretary-General formally launched it. Since 2016, SDSN, alongside Bertelsmann Stiftung, has been publishing the annual SDG Index & Dashboards Global Report.
