World Report's message is to live life with enthusiasm
Finland remains the happiest country in the world for the 9th consecutive year.
Happiness or sadness cannot be measured, but the Wellbeing Research Centre at Oxford University has been measuring or measuring them based on certain criteria since 2012. This effort is published under the name of the World Happiness Report. Since this effort is based on the approval and funds of the United Nations (UN), it has also been getting reasonable importance.
According to the 2026 report, India ranks 116th out of 147 countries. This is an improvement of two places compared to 2025. In 2025, it was ranked 118th. Still, can this be considered satisfactory; especially for a country that is dreaming of becoming a world power in the near future?
It is also a strange paradox that even the self-proclaimed world powers, such as the US, China or Russia, do not reach the top 25 positions in the Happiness Index. On the other hand, a small Central American country like Costa Rica, despite its small economy, is at the fourth position in this list. The first position belongs to Finland, the coldest country in Europe. It has maintained this position for 9 consecutive years. In fact, five of the top 10 positions in this list belong to the Nordic countries (Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway). Three other European countries (Netherlands, Luxembourg and Switzerland) are also included in this list. Apparently, Europe dominates this list. But is the real situation as it is depicted?
The university that publishes the happiness report is quite clear about the validity of the criteria it adopts. The issues it considers highly for its ranking are as follows: 1. Gross Domestic Product, 2. Per capita income, 3. Social support, 4. Healthy food and longer average life expectancy, 5. An open environment to make one's own decisions in life, 6. Social openness and 7. Absence/lack of corruption in socio-political life.
To find out public opinion on these issues, 10,000 forms are distributed to different age groups in each country through the international survey organization 'Gallup'. After verification of the answers to these forms and analysis by an independent editorial board, it is decided which country is in the rising trend and which is not. Happiness can neither be measured by wealth nor can it be measured by the comforts and facilities available to the common people. It is fundamentally a mental state and wealth alone cannot be used as a yardstick to achieve the happiness associated with this state.
Nepal is the second poorest country in South Asia in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It is better off economically only than Afghanistan, but it ranks 92nd on the happiness index. Similarly, Pakistan, despite facing a serious economic crisis, ranks 109th out of 147 countries. On the other hand, Bangladesh has slipped to 134th place after being ranked 129th in 2024. The report on Pakistan's better performance than India suggests that the 'eat, drink, do as you please' element is prevalent in the Pakistani lifestyle. Pakistanis do not make their sorrows or sorrows a permanent part of their lives.
On the other hand, Indians talk about the philosophy of 'whatever you get, consider it as your destiny', but they do not adopt it. That is why the art of finding a spark of happiness amidst sorrows has not yet been perfected in them. However, the happiness report is not a firm truth in itself, but it is certainly a message that human life is given to live, not to be wasted. Despite all the worries and anxieties, it should be enjoyed, that too to the fullest.