Myanmar, Lanka ahead of India in well-being: Gallup

Panama led the world in well-being, whereas Afghans had the lowest well-being globally

Myanmarese and Sri Lankans are happier than Indians, finds a Gallup poll. But India is better placed on a well-being index than China, Nepal and Pakistan.

According to the Gallup-Healthways Global Well-Being Index, 2014, India was ranked 70 out of 145 nations. The poll found only 17 per cent of Indians interviewed were satisfied with their lives. Compared to this, 7.9 per cent in China were satisfied. Last year, India was placed 71 out of 135 nations, with 16 per cent saying they were satisfied.

Panama led the world in well-being, with 53 per cent of residents expressing general satisfaction, whereas Afghans had the lowest well-being globally, with zero per cent of residents expressing satisfaction with their lives. Bhutan, the country credited with introducing the concept of gross national happiness, was placed only a rank above Afghanistan. (HOW HAPPY ARE WE?)

The results of the poll also threw up an interesting question on the relationship between economic development of a country and the well-being of its residents. The poll found economically developed countries did not necessarily have satisfied residents. Countries such as Croatia, South Korea and Singapore, though economically developed and stable, figured low on well-being.

Gallup said the well-being index was developed on five parameters: purpose (motivation to achieve goals), social (having supportive relationships), financial (managing your economic life to reduce stress and increase security), community (liking where you live, feeling safe and having pride in your community), and physical (having good health and enough energy to get things done daily). India was ranked 95 on the social well-being index, 92 on the financial well-being index, 79 on the purpose well-being index, 65 on the community well-being index, and 38 on the physical well-being index.

The poll was based on telephone and face-to-face interviews with a random sample of more than 146,000 adults living in 145 countries in 2014.