A scene of food market in Lahore, Photo: FaizanM41/Wikimedia Commons
Pakistan, with an encouraging economic outlook and a sense of improvement in life among its people, ranks as the happiest nation in South Asia, leaving neighboring rival India and friend China far behind on the World Happiness Index 201.
In fact, Pakistan improved its standing from 2017, moving 5 points up to be rated as thee 75th happiest nation on the UN index.
The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network’s (SDSN) 2018 World Happiness Report ranked 156 countries taking into account such factors as the GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, social freedom, generosity and absence of corruption.
The neighboring countries including India (133), Bhutan (97), Bangladesh (115), and Sri Lanka (116), appear much lower on the ranking. China. Pakistan’s longtime friend, is placed at the 86th spot in terms of happiness its people enjoy.
A man with his kids riding a motorbike, look at the truck art appearing on walls of Karachi.
Photo Credit: Nuzaira Azam
Finland is the world’s happiest country, according to the annual survey.
The United States is rated at the 18th position, Britain is the 19th happiest nation while the United Arab Emirates occupies the 20th place.
The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network’s (SDSN) 2018 World Happiness Report ranked 156 countries taking into account such factors as GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, social freedom, generosity and absence of corruption.
India, which has been performing consistently well on the economic front, slipped down by 11 places as it was placed 122nd last year.
India fares behind the majority of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) nations, above only war-ravaged Afghanistan, that is ranked at the 145 th position.
