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India is one of the least happiest countries in the world. The fifth annual World Happiness Report puts India at the 122nd spot in a list of 155 countries, well below all of its South Asian neighbours as well as Iraq and Iran.
Norway tops the list to become the world’s happiest country, followed by Denmark, Iceland and Switzerland. While Norway moved up from its fourth place in the last report, the US fell to the 14th spot.
The report, unveiled at the United Nations by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, ranks 155 countries on the basis of data gleaned from the Gallup World Poll.
India ranks the lowest among its South Asian neighbours. Pakistan is at the 80th spot, while Bangladesh is at 110 and Nepal at the 99th spot.
GDP alone cannot doesn’t account for happiness among people. China and India’s ranking are proof. Interestingly, Bhutan, which uses the Gross National Happiness method to measure economic progress, ranks at 97 on the list.
Observing the mood of a country helps keep a tab on the residents’ levels of satisfaction with country’s social, health, labour and economic policies.
How many of these happiness indicators can you relate to? Indians work the longest hours, with an average of 52 hours per week. Indian millennials are also the fourth most vacation-deprived workforce in the world. Add to the mix the rising levels of pollution and depreciating health, and Indians are one of the world’s most over-worked and tired people. Who has time for happiness?
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)