Pakistanis are happier than Indians and all other neighbors – UN Report

Pakistanis are not only the happiest people in South Asia, they also rank happier than Chinese, Afghanis and Iranians, reveals.

According to the World Happiness Report 2019 – which takes into account several factors like emotions, social behaviors, generosity, freedoms and bad impacts of trends and policies – Pakistan is ranked 67^th.

In fact, Pakistan has improved its ranking and is among the major gainers on the index, moving several notches up from 2018 position at 75.

While Pakistan is just coming out of a mix of dangerous challenges that hit the country hard in the aftermath of 9/11 terror events, India has been constantly declining when it comes to the state of happiness of its people.

Pakistanis have also experience three successive democratic elections and the media outlets enjoy considerably more freedom of expression compared with other countries in the region.

India, which often presents itself as a shining country and the world’s largest country, has been falling on the index in terms of keeping its people happy.

Chinese population also seems to be discontent despite the massive economic strides the country has made and is placed 93^rd on the index, while Iran, which has been under strict theocratic rule, is ranked 117^th.

Finland remains the happiest country in the world according to three years of surveys taken by Gallup from 2016-2018. The other nations making it to the top ten are Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, New Zealand, Canada and Austria.

The United States is ranked 19^th, moving one spot lower from last year.

Afghans, who have lived in a state of conflict and wars for decades, figure among the world’s least contented people, placed on 154^th of the 156 nations ranked by the index.