India ranked 126th out of 143 countries surveyed in the World Happiness Report 2024, released Wednesday. The study measured happiness using variables, such as per capita GDP, life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and freedom from corruption. The study adopted an age-based ranking system for the first time since its start in 2012. The report shows that Finland tops the list in the overall happiness score, Lithuania came on top in the young group (people under 30), and Denmark was the happiest country for those aged 60 and older.

Also, for the first time, the report dedicated a whole chapter to India. The research shows that in India, happiness rises with old age, more for men than women. The findings assume importance as India has the world’s second-largest elderly population, with 140 million people aged 60 and above. According to the report, people born before 1965 (boomers) are happier than those born after 1980 (millennials). It says boomers usually find increasing life satisfaction with age, while millennials feel the opposite.

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Other Findings Of The Report:

The researchers found that in India, older age is associated with higher life satisfaction against the belief that it exists only in the high-income countries. It found that older Indian men are more satisfied with life than older Indian women on average but when considering all other measures, older women are more satisfied with life than men.
Life satisfaction is higher among those who have received formal education than those without formal education. The lack of education has resulted in lower awareness of healthcare facilities, poor health, mental and physical illnesses, lowering life satisfaction in old age.Even retirement is found to have a correlation with lower life satisfaction compared to people in the workforce.
Unmarried people, people discontent with living situations, and people less or not concerned with religions are found to have lower life satisfaction levels. Depression and difficulty in daily activities also resulted in lower life satisfaction among old individuals.

People In Western India Have Higher Life Satisfaction

People in western India have higher life satisfaction followed by central, northeastern, and northern regions. Monthly income is one of the factors affecting life satisfaction among older women, whereas having an adequate income affects life satisfaction among both older women and men. People 80 years and above reported higher life satisfaction than those in the 60s.
Furthermore, older women, people with secondary or higher education, respondents who are married, and those who consider religion an important part of life have shown a likelihood of having higher life satisfaction than their counterparts.

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Correlation Between Caste Divisions And Life Satisfaction

The study shows that caste system still holds dear in the Indian mindset. It highlights that life satisfaction was higher among non-schedule caste (SC) and non-schedule-tribe (ST) than their SC-ST peers. The report draws attention to the links between life satisfaction and cumulative advantages one receives directly or indirectly, due to education, resources of income, wealth, power, and mainstream social connections, overall affecting the life satisfaction.