Indians less Happier than US, Pakistan: says Gallup 2010 wellbeing Study

India has ranked 71st in happiness with only 17 percent people describing themselves as “thriving” in a new study of well-being that gives Denmark the top spot among 124 countries surveyed.

With Danes ranked the most contented people on the planet with a whopping 72 percent of residents considering themselves “thriving,” Sweden and Canada followed close behind, each at 69 percent in Gallup’s 2010 Global Wellbeing Survey.

The US came in somewhat near the middle of the pack, with 59 percent of Americans thriving.

A majority of Indians (64 percent) believe they are “struggling” while 19 percent think they are “suffering” according to the survey. Surprisingly Pakistanis were found to be happier. Pakistan was ranked 40th with 32 percent “thriving”. Among other neighbours, Bangladesh was placed 89 with only 13 percent thriving, while China was ranked 92 with only 12 percent happy respondents.

A median of just 21 percent were found to be “thriving” in the Gallup survey polling 1,000 adults, age 15 and older, in both face-to-face and telephone interviews in each country throughout 2010.

Outside of Europe and the Americas, however, other nations fared considerably less well. A mere 12 percent of the population considered themselves to be thriving in Egypt, followed by 6 percent in Kenya and, dead last, Chad with 1 percent.