Global Happiness Index , India ranked 116....

 

The World Happiness Report 2026 ranks Finland as the happiest country in the world for the ninth consecutive year. 

Released annually on 20 March to coincide with the UN International Day of Happiness, the report evaluates global well-being across more than 140 countries.

The 2026 rankings show continued dominance by Nordic nations, alongside notable rises from Latin American and Middle Eastern countries.

Key Findings & Trends

 India improved its ranking to 116th in 2026, up from 118th in 2025 and 126th in 2024.  

 Measurement Criteria: Rankings are based on a three-year average of life evaluation data from the Gallup World Poll. Six key factors explain these scores:

        GDP per capita

        Social support

        Healthy life expectancy

        Freedom to make life choices

        Generosity

        Perceptions of corruption

 

Origins of the Index

The concept was inspired by Bhutan , which pioneered "Gross National Happiness" (GNH) in the 1970s as a more holistic measure of progress than GDP. This led to the first World Happiness Report being published by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network in 2012.