The 2018 World Happiness Report shows Pakistan as a happier country than India. The annual survey ranks India 133rd while Pakistan is ranked at 75. India fell down 11 ranks from last year’s report. The United States ranked 18th falling down from the 14th rank last year.
The ranking is decided on six key variables, income, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom, trust and generosity. The top ten countries are always the same with just ranking changes. This year Finland is ranked as the happiest country in the world.
Out of 156 countries, Denmark was ranked second with Denmark and Iceland standing third and fourth. Finland climbed the ladder after being ranked fifth last year.
Many feel studying happiness is frivolous but many academics have been asking for tests to rank people’s emotional well being. In 2013, the National Academy of Sciences released a report with a recommendation. The report said the federal statistics and surveys which analyse income, spending housing and health can be used to gauge happiness. A new set of questions related to happiness was added to the survey.
