India is consistently doing poorly in the UN’s World Happiness Reports. Every year, I am baffled to see yet another drop in India’s ranking. Currently, at 140th position out of 156 countries, India’s showing is rather abysmal. Ranked at 117 in 2015, 118 in 2016, 122 in 2017, and 133 in 2018, the country is on a downward trend for its happiness quotient.
Although India is doing fairly well in terms of economic growth with the size of its economy exceeding $2.7 trillion in 2018, the country appears to be getting sadder with every passing year. It is a matter of great concern that even its South Asian counterparts are much better ranked in the World Happiness Report.
Let us see how India’s rank compares to that of its neighbors
- Pakistan (67)
- Bhutan (95)
- Bangladesh (125)
- Sri Lanka (130)
- India (140)
Economically, India fares much better than all the countries mentioned above, still, it is lagging way behind when it comes to the happiness of its citizens. For instance, while Pakistan is amongst the top 20 gainers, India is amongst the top 20 losers, compared to the previous year’s ranking. The only South Asian country that ranks lower than India in this list is Afghanistan.
Economic metrics alone are not enough of a measure of happiness
One thing is for sure, economic growth alone cannot be the determinant of a country’s happiness, as none of the world’s major economic powerhouses made it to the top 10 in the list, which was topped by Finland. Among the major economic powerhouses, England fared the best at 15, followed by Germany at 17, and the US at 19. Other major economies like Japan, Russia, and China are ranked 58, 68 and 93 respectively.
The World’s Happiness Index takes into account various variables like life expectancy, social support, income, freedom, trust, health and generosity. Even while boasting of a high GDP level, India, the sixth-largest economy of the world is failing to ensure happiness. As economist Richard Easterlin explains in his ‘Easterlin Paradox’, happiness does rise with income, but only up to a certain point.
India’s economic success gives us an incomplete picture of the country’s welfare, as it is not able to create better service delivery to citizens, leading to deficiencies in improving the overall quality of life. It’s discrepancies like this that are behind several intellectuals, such as Nobel Prize winner economist Joseph Stiglitz, strongly advocated against a reliance on GDP as a measure of well-being.
The quantum of public health spending in India is a mere 1.5% of its GDP. This is much below the global average and millions of Indians are deprived of basic healthcare facilities. The matter is of great concern as a healthy life expectancy cannot be guaranteed even to people who can afford expensive private healthcare. Poor health is a major cause of unhappiness. The poor quality of air and water, contaminated with various pollutants, is not helping either. Many Indians complain of fatigue and mental stress owing to poor health.
Factors that are hindering happiness, and what we can do about it
India’s exploding population size and the great income divide are some of the other major factors that can be attributed to the low level of happiness in the country. Such a huge population calls for cut-throat competition for basic needs like food, shelter, education, and jobs. India also suffers from a non-egalitarian social system, which has caused massive levels of economic inequality. I read in a prominent journal that India’s richest 1% possess over 51% of the country’s wealth. The report also stated that the wealth of the nine richest people in India equals the wealth of the bottom 50% of the population. With the nation’s media beholden to politicians, lobbyists, and business magnates, their credibility too has been compromised, leading to further disenchantment with institutions.
Speaking on the nation’s low ranking on the happiness index, former President of India, Pranab Mukherjee placed the blame on India’s lack of a holistic approach and narrow focus on economic development. To reverse this trend, he called for a focus on a concept he called the “triple bottom line”, by which he meant a combined development on the social, financial and environmental fronts.
I second this insightful observation and I believe that stress management should be included in our school curriculum and be a part of our national conversation. Indians are some of the hardest working people in the world and working hours extend far longer than many other parts of the world. Positive and regenerative activities, such as spending time in nature, exercising, meditation and volunteering to help the needy in the time we can spare, are all things that make a massive difference to our sense of contentment and joyfulness. Lastly, we should encourage an appreciation for what we have and gratitude towards the universe, being thankful is one of the most effective ways to enhance positivity and happiness.
