Pakistan’s ranking in the World Happiness Report 2025 has slightly dropped, falling to 109th position from last year’s 108th. Despite this decline, the country remains ahead of its regional neighbors, India and Afghanistan, which rank 118th and 147th, respectively.
The annual report, published by Gallup and its partners, evaluates the happiness levels of 147 countries based on surveys measuring the quality of life from 2022 to 2024. The rankings reflect factors such as income, social support, life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and perceptions of corruption.
In South Asia, Pakistan still outperforms its neighbors, with Bangladesh and Sri Lanka ranked 133rd and 134th, respectively. Iran, which has a significant refugee population, fares better with a ranking of 99th. China leads the Asian continent with a strong position at 27th.
Globally, Finland maintains its position as the world’s happiest country for the seventh consecutive year. Denmark and Iceland follow closely, securing the second and third spots. Other nations in the top 15 include Sweden, the Netherlands, Costa Rica, and Norway.
However, the United States and the United Kingdom have experienced significant declines in their rankings. The US dropped to 24th, marking its lowest position ever, while the UK fell to 23rd, its worst ranking since 2017.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, countries like Sierra Leone, Lebanon, Malawi, and Zimbabwe are ranked among the least happy, highlighting challenges in those regions.
While Pakistan’s slight drop may indicate some setbacks in overall happiness, it continues to rank higher than many of its South Asian counterparts, indicating the country’s relative stability in terms of quality of life when compared to the region.
