ISLAMABAD – Pakistan has overpowered its quintessential rival India in terms of happiness, it has been learnt.
According to ‘The World Happiness Report 2017’ issued on Monday India ranked a low 122 on a list of the world’s happiest countries published under a UN initiative.
Interestingly, India ranked at 118 last year but this time, it slipped four spots as Narendra Modi’s ‘Achhe Din’ continue to draw question mark.
On the other hand, Pakistan, despite its persistent battles with terrorism and corruption managed to be ranked at 80th place beating India, Nepal (99) Bangladesh (110), Iraq (117) and Sri Lanka (120).
The touchstone for gauging happiness included per capita income, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity and perceptions of corruption.
The report, which was first issued in 2012 measures ‘subjective well-being’ – how happy the people are, and why.
The latest report ranks Norway as the happiest place on Earth toppling neighbour Denmark from the number one position.
Norway is followed by Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland and Finland while the Central African Republic came last.
World superpower US came at 14th place while 19th spot was occupied to Great Britain that is bracing to pull out of European Union in it’s ‘Brexit’ move.
Unfortunately, Syria occupies 152nd spot out of 155 countries – Yemen and South Sudan, which are facing impending famine, came in at 146 and 147.
Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network that produced the report expressed that the World Happiness Report continues to draw global attention around the need to create sound policy for what matters most to people – their well-being.
‘As demonstrated by many countries, this report gives evidence that happiness is a result of creating strong social foundations. It’s time to build social trust and healthy lives, not guns or walls. Let’s hold our leaders to this fact,’ he said.
