Israel Remains Among Top 10 Happiest Countries In The World Despite War, Afghanistan Ranks Last

<p>The 13th edition of the World Happiness Report 2025 was published on Thursday, coinciding with the International Day of Happiness that falls on March 20 each year.</p>
<p>The report reveals significant insights into global well-being, particularly focusing on various explanatory factors such as freedom, generosity, social support, GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, and perceptions of corruption. It also shows analysis of people’s emotions, benevolence, and inequality in a particular country.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Finland is ranked as the happiest country in the world for the eighth consecutive year and other Nordic countries &ndash; Denmark, Iceland and Sweden &ndash; continued to remain in the top four, in that order. Meanwhile, India ranked 118th, up from the 126th position in the previous year.</p>
<h3>Israel’s Position</h3>
<p>Israel appeared in the top ten happiest countries in the world once again, ranking as the eighth happiest nation globally despite a slight decline from its previous positions of fourth and fifth in 2023 and 2024, respectively.</p>
<p>In terms of positive emotions, the country ranked 132 in 2023 and 100 in 2024 despite the turmoil after the October 7 attack by Hamas in 2023. However, an analysis of the country’s negative emotions revealed that it ranked at 141 in 2023 and 80 in 2024.&nbsp;</p>
<p>On the aspect of freedom, however, Israel ranked 87th out of the approximately 130 countries, while on graft it ranked 32nd as the most corrupt place. On inequality, it secured 15th rank, where a higher score means less inequality.</p>
<p>Despite recent conflicts Israel is facing, including the war with Hamas, the country’s high ranking can thus be attributed to its benevolence, positive outlook amidst adversity, profound sense of community, and levels of freedom.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The State of Palestine, on the contrary, is ranked 108th, down from 103 in 2024.</p>
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<h3>Afghanistan’s Ranking</h3>
<p>Afghanistan again ranked at 147 as the unhappiest country in the world for the second time this year. It stood last at 143rd rank in the 2024 report.&nbsp;</p>
<p>In terms of positive emotions, the country witnessed a sharp dip in 2021 with a 122 rank, but later climbed to 140 in 2022 and increasing a spot further in 2023 at 141.</p>
<p>An analysis of the negative emotions placed the country at 122 in 2021, which decreased to 140 in 2022 and 136 in 2023.</p>
<p>Afghanistan remains at the bottom of the happiness index, with its nation’s average life evaluation score plummeted by almost 1.4 points since 2023, now standing at 1.36.</p>
<p>Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in August 2021, following which the country has faced significant political, economic, and humanitarian challenges as western donors immediately cut off development aid. The new government has imposed strict Islamic laws, restricting women’s rights, including banning them from secondary and higher education, most jobs, and even public spaces.</p>
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<h3>India’s Ranking</h3>
<p>Though India witnessed an improvement in its happiness standing, it remained below countries such as Nepal, Pakistan, Ukraine and Palestine.</p>
<p>It stood much higher at 57 for (how people) donated; at 10 for how people volunteered; 74 for helping a stranger, and in case of wallet returned by a neighbour (115), stranger (86) and police (93).</p>
<p>While Nepal ranked 92 (93 in 2024) and Pakistan stood at 109th rank (108 in 2024), much ahead of India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh lagged behind with 133rd rank (128 in 2024) and 134th position (129 in 2024) respectively.</p>
<h3>Global Observations</h3>
<p>This annual report is published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford in partnership with Gallup, the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and ranks the countries according to the self-assessed life evaluations by those polled averaged over the years 2022&ndash;2024.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Notably, the United States has experienced a decline, falling to its lowest-ever position at 24th place, with increasing rates of solitary dining and “deaths of despair” from suicide, alcohol abuse, and drug overdose contributing to this trend.</p>
<p>The United Kingdom is at the 23rd position, the US is 24th and China stands at 68th position in the list of 147 countries this year.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Russian Federation ranked at 66 (74 in 2024), while Ukraine stood at 111 rank (105 in 2024).</p>
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