Why is India unhappy? – World Happiness Report

Theme:

• India is ranked 136th among 146 countries in World’s happiness Index, 2022.
• The top 5 countries in the list are part of Europe – Finland (1), Denmark (2), Iceland (3), Switzerland (4), Netherlands (5).
• Rankings are given by taking six factors into consideration. They are GDP, life expectancy, generosity, social support, freedom to make life choices, and corruption.

Why India couldn’t secure a better place in the World Happiness Report:

• Increasing crimes against women.
• High-income inequality.
• Increasing intolerance. Freedom of expression is at a threat.
• Longer work hours.
• Mental health is not given its due importance. Government expenditure and the number of psychiatrists are very low in India.
• Education is not available to all even now.
• Lack of employment opportunities is increasing underemployment in India. This can be evident in a large number of applications from postgraduates for clerical posts. This leads to stress and affects happiness levels.

What can be learnt from happy countries:

• All the top countries in the happiness index give utmost importance to personal freedom.
• Higher GDP levels. Though money can’t buy happiness, economic strength ensures better conditions and leads to an increase in happiness levels.
• The absence of corruption increases trust in the government. Thereby people feel safe to live there, which in turn increases happiness levels.

Conclusion:

Though India is ranked 136th our 146 countries, India is moving in the right direction by empowering women, reducing corruption and increasing transparency. But we have a long way to go. These happiness rankings remind us about the loopholes in our system. India needs to work faster to reduce inequality and to ensure freedom. Ministry of happiness is the need of the hour in India.

Photo by Liza Summer from Pexels

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