Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Britain’s happiness crisis: UK hits record low in global wellbeing rankings

Report reveals impact of living and access to social support

Britain’s happiness crisis: UK hits record low in global wellbeing rankings

Pakistan stands at 109th place out of 147 countries

THE UK has experienced a significant blow to its national morale, plummeting to 23rd place in the World Happiness Report for 2025 – its lowest ranking ever – despite being the world’s sixth richest nation.

Released to mark the UN’s International Day of Happiness last Thursday (20), the report provided a nuanced exploration of national contentment that extends far beyond economic measurements.


Finland continues to shine as the world’s happiest country for an eighth consecutive year, with Nordic nations dominating the top rankings.

Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden occupy the second, third, and fourth positions respectively, showcasing the region’s consistent approach to social welfare and quality of life.

Experts said the UK’s dramatic drop reflects growing concerns about the national quality of life and economic uncertainty. This decline comes amid broader trends of social isolation and economic pressures impacting developed nations’ overall sense of wellbeing.

Pakistan was a relative bright spot in south Asia rankings, in 109th place out of 147 surveyed countries. The regional happiness hierarchy showed Nepal performing best at 91st place, followed by Pakistan, while India was ranked 118th, Sri Lanka 133rd, and Bangladesh at 134th.

India is far below its neighbours Nepal, Bangladesh, and China. The drop is linked to growing mental health concerns, exacerbated by the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic and increasing economic pressures.

Researchers discovered that strangers are nearly twice as kind as people typically perceive them to be. Moreover, sharing meals demonstrated a strong correlation with individual wellbeing, even as the number of people dining alone in the US has increased by 53 per cent over two decades.

Loneliness was also mentioned in the report, especially among young people.

In 2023, 19 per cent of young adults worldwide reported having no one they could count on for social support – a significant 39 per cent increase compared to 2006. This isolation appears to be having broader societal implications, potentially influencing political attitudes and social cohesion.

Costa Rica and Mexico made their first appearance in the top ten, demonstrating that happiness is not solely determined by economic wealth, but by complex social and cultural factors.

The report also highlighted intriguing political dimensions, noting that declining life satisfaction is driving an increase in anti-system political votes. Interestingly, individuals with low trust tend to be attracted to far-right political movements, while those with high trust gravitate towards farleft ideologies.

Afghanistan remains the unhappiest country in the world, with ongoing humanitarian challenges significantly impacting national wellbeing. The report reflected how political instability, and economic hardship can undermine a population’s sense of happiness and security.

Researchers stressed that the happiness index goes beyond traditional economic indicators. The rankings consider factors such as GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and perceptions of corruption.

More For You

We The Women makes UK debut with stories of courage and truth

Sudha Murthy and Karan Johar

Image Credits: Barkha Dutt / We The Women / Mojo Story

We The Women makes UK debut with stories of courage and truth

Mahesh Liloriya

The acclaimed women-led festival We The Women, curated by veteran journalist Barkha Dutt, made its powerful UK debut on June 29 at London’s Riverside Studios. Presented in partnership with Vedanta, the event brought together transformative voices from India and the British-Indian diaspora, showcasing unfiltered, emotional, and often raw storytelling.

Among the standout moments was Rashmika Mandanna’s candid discussion on her values-first approach to fame. The actor received thunderous applause when she shared, “I’ve said no to scripts because they required me to smoke. If I don’t feel good about something, I won’t do it.” Her firm stance echoed the festival’s core ethos, prioritising authenticity over popularity.

Keep ReadingShow less
Indian cricket stars lead the way in Wisden 2025

Jasprit Bumrah in action

Indian cricket stars lead the way in Wisden 2025

ARYAMAN VARMA, an Indian boy at Eton, has been named Wisden’s schools cricketer of the year 2025, after taking 51 wickets at an average of 12.11 last year with his leg spin.

This is just one of the little nuggets of information in the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack 2025. The 1,586 pages in tiny print is the 162nd edition of what is regarded as the cricketers’ bible.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mount Etna eruption

Mount Etna is a reminder of how powerful and persistent a volcano truly is

Getty Images

7 facts about Mount Etna that explain why it’s erupting again

Mount Etna, Europe’s most active volcano, is back in the headlines following another powerful eruption. Towering over the island of Sicily, it’s a geological force that never really rests. But why does Etna erupt so often, and what makes this volcano so unique? Here are seven facts that explain the science and significance behind its latest activity.

1. It sits on a tectonic hotspot

Mount Etna lies at the meeting point of the African and Eurasian tectonic plates. The African plate is slowly pushing beneath the Eurasian plate, a process called subduction. This constant movement fuels the volcano, allowing magma to rise and erupt regularly.

Keep ReadingShow less
landslide nearly swallows Swiss Village

Switzerland’s village of Blatten was buried in ice, mud and rock

Getty Images

Buried but not broken: The Swiss village of Blatten fights to rise again

Switzerland’s village of Blatten was buried in ice, mud and rock on the evening of Wednesday during a fatal landslide.

Once a lush, green hamlet nestled in the Alps — known for its old wooden houses, historic buildings, and wandering cows and sheep — the village is now almost entirely buried. The landslide, which swept through 90 per cent of Blatten, has left the local community shattered.

Keep ReadingShow less
Lord Krish Raval’s vision: Strengthening community cohesion and UK-India ties

Lord Krish Raval

Lord Krish Raval’s vision: Strengthening community cohesion and UK-India ties

ASIAN peer Lord Krish Raval has pledged to dedicate his time to strengthening community cohesion and British Indian relations in his maiden speech at the House of Lords last week.

Baron Krish Raval of Hertsmere reflected on his three decades in leadership development across business, academia and faith communities, describing himself as a “doorkeeper” whose role was “not barring access, but opening doors”.

Keep ReadingShow less