India is happier than shown in the World Happiness Reports rankings!

World Happiness Rankings & India

Since 2013, March 20 has been celebrated every year as the International Day of Happiness. On this day, the annual World Happiness Report is released, ranking around 140 countries based on their happiness, measured from Gallup World Poll surveys. The World Happiness Report (WHR) is a partnership of Gallup, the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and the WHR’s Editorial Board. The report is produced under the editorial control of the WHR Editorial Board. From 2024, the World Happiness Report will be published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, UK.

India is ranked lower in these reports, and this article explains why India is happier than these rankings suggest. In my happiness research over the last 15 years, I have travelled within India and to many countries outside India, and have found many experts, including psychologists, looking to India and Indian practices such as spirituality to address their clients’ unhappiness.

Why India is happier

There are many reasons to believe so, and some of these are shared here.

Firstly, in happiness, the longest study, the longest-running studies of adult life, the Harvard Study of Adult Development, has followed participants for nearly eighty years. The study found that the main source of happiness is relationships. It doesn’t matter how many relations; what matters is the quality of relationships. In my own studies in India, including the latest one, The Practice of Happiness in India: Secrets from Centenarians, I have found that relationships are a main source of happiness. In India, relationships are still strong.

Secondly, in definitions of happiness, the meaning of life is a very important component. In my own definition of happiness as GEM (Giving, Enjoying Life, and Meaningful Life), the meaning of life is a key part of it. Spirituality and religion are great help in finding meaning in life and in building a good relationship with oneself and others. Also, life does not always go the way we want it to go, and in those difficult situations, if we believe in religion and spirituality, we can still be content or find peace by believing God will take care of it, and it shall also pass, or this is a bad part of life, and good will also come, as nothing is permanent. In India, spirituality and religion are still strong. 

Third, in India, giving has been strong historically, and it remains strong today. It is easy to ask for help and help others. Giving is another essential component of happiness, as reflected in my own happiness definition of GEM, as shared above.

Fourth, India, as a country, is full of colours, festivals, celebrations and open to welcoming others as compared to many other countries, which are key components of enjoying life and another essential part of my definition of happiness.

These are four reasons among others for believing that India is much happier than the World Happiness Reports suggest. There are issues in the concept, data and methodology. Ongoing debates exist over the concepts, data, and methods used in happiness research, and no single report can capture every relevant dimension of well-being.

Conclusion and key takeaways

India’s lower ranking in the World Happiness Report should not be treated as the final word on the well-being of its people, as there are many questions about it, and no single report can capture every relevant dimension of well-being.

Happiness as a research field is quite young; it is a work in progress and needs much more work. We need to keep making progress in its research on the one hand and apply what we know to live happier lives on the other. 

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