Finland is the world’s happiest country; India lags behind even Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal on Happiness Index

The latest edition of the UN’s World Happiness Report is out and Finland has captured the title of world’s happiest country for 2018. Not just for citizens, Finland has been adjudged the country having the world’s happiest immigrant population. India, however, was ranked 133, far behind terror-hit Pakistan which was at the 75th spot. Not just Pakistan, India's other immediate neighbours such as Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, are also more joyful than Indians. Even China is happier than India.

New this year, researchers also looked at the well-being of immigrant populations living in 117 countries and found that the top 10 list mirrors the results of the overall list of world’s happiest countries. Finland, for example, tops the list of countries with the happiest immigrant populations as well. 
"The most striking finding of the report is the remarkable consistency between the happiness of immigrants and the locally born," said co-editor Professor John Helliwell of the University of British Columbia, Canada in a statement.  "Although immigrants come from countries with very different levels of happiness, their reported life evaluations converge towards those of other residents in their new countries. Those who move to happier countries gain, while those who move to less happy countries lose," though the adjustment of happiness is not complete, as migrants still reflect in part the happiness of their birth country. 

The top 10 countries in the current list have changed a little in the last two years, with the exception of a bit of shuffling. Finland rose from fifth place last year to oust Norway from the top spot. The top positions are held by the same countries, including Norway, Denmark, Iceland, and Switzerland, which round out the top five spots. New this year, researchers also looked at the well-being of immigrant populations living in 117 countries and found that the top 10 list mirrors the results of the overall list of world’s happiest countries. 
Finland tops 155 other countries when it comes to well-being, as measured by metrics like income, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom, trust and generosity. The report is based on the pooled results from Gallup World Poll surveys from 2015-2017. 

One of the most obvious commonalities shared by nearly all those countries? They’re located in the upper Northern Hemisphere and experience cold, wintry climes. 
The country to mark the biggest gains in the overall list is Togo, which jumped 17 places from 2015 when it landed at the very bottom of the heap. Venezuela recorded the biggest decline in well-being, and the US dropped four spots from last year to 18th spot. 

Here are the top 10 happiest countries in the world 2018: 
1. Finland 
2. Norway 
3. Denmark 
4. Iceland 
5. Switzerland 
6. Netherlands 
7. Canada 
8. New Zealand 
9. Sweden 
10. Australia