South Asian nations struggling in 2025 global happiness rankings

South Asian nations continue to struggle with low happiness levels, with Pakistan (109th), India (118th), and Bangladesh (134th) all ranking in the bottom third of countries worldwide, according to the World Happiness Report 2025 released Thursday.

The annual report is published by the University of Oxford’s Wellbeing Research Centre in partnership with Gallup, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and an independent editorial board.

The report highlights a concerning "happiness gap" between South Asia and much of the developed world, with Finland maintaining its top position for the sixth consecutive year while Afghanistan ranks last globally with the lowest average life satisfaction ever recorded (1.36 on a 10-point scale).

Despite economic challenges, Pakistan outperforms its larger neighbor India in life satisfaction, largely due to higher rates of prosocial behavior like volunteering and helping strangers, which the report identifies as crucial buffers against "deaths of despair".

The report introduces a troubling finding: shared meals, a universal measure of social connection, have declined dramatically across South Asia. Bangladesh reports the world's lowest rate of meal sharing at just 2.7 meals per week, while India ranks near the bottom at 132nd place.

Researchers note that improving social trust could significantly boost happiness levels in the region, as countries with higher trust report up to 75% higher life satisfaction, even when controlling for income and other factors.

Paradoxically, some of the least happy countries demonstrate the highest rates of helping strangers, a form of prosocial behavior. The report finds that in countries like Pakistan, Nigeria, and Kenya, where institutional support is weak, people are significantly more likely to help strangers than to donate to formal charities—a pattern that researchers suggest represents an adaptive community response to institutional voids.

Afghanistan's position at the bottom of the rankings reflects the devastating impact of Taliban rule since 2021, with Afghan women reporting even lower life satisfaction (1.16 points) than men. Researchers note this represents "the largest gender gap ever seen" in the report's history.