UAE 20th 'happiest nation' on global happiness index

India’s rank is 117, below nations like Pakistan (81), Palestine (108), Bangladesh (109), Ukraine (111) and Iraq (112). Its rank dropped six notched from the 2013 report, when it was on the 111 spot.

United Nations: The United Arab Emirates has ranked 20 on the 2015 World Happiness Report published by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), a global initiative for the United Nations, released on April 23.

UAE is ranked among 158 countries on the index that took into account GDP per capita, life expectancy, social support and freedom to make life choices as indicators of happiness.

The UAE gets special mention in the report, citing the Dubai Plan 2021, launched by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in December of 2014. The Ruler is lauded as among the few global leaders who are talking about the importance of well-being as a guide for their nations.

Shaikh Mohammed has said: “The first objective for the Dubai Plan 2021 is achieving people’s happiness.”

Dubai Plan 2021 itself covers six themes “that describe the vision for Dubai: a city of happy, creative and empowered people; an inclusive and cohesive society; the preferred place to live, work and visit; a smart and sustainable city; a pivotal hub in the global economy; and a pioneering and excellent government. The strategy was developed after extensive consultations involving civil society, the private and the public sectors.”

In addition, as mentioned in the report, Shaikh Mohammed has written an open letter to all Federal government employees reminding them of their core mission: providing world class services to the people of UAE with the goal of contributing to their happiness. His open letter is a testament to the strong commitment demonstrated by the UAE leadership towards making happiness a national policy goal.

Among UAE's neighbouring countries, Oman ranked 22, Qatar ranked 28 and Saudi Arabia ranked 35 on the list.

Meanwhile in the South Asia, India has not fared well in a global ranking of the happiest nations, coming in at the 117th spot.

Switzerland has been named as the happiest country in the world, coming in at the number one spot on the 2015 World Happiness Report published by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), which is a global initiative for the United Nations.

The other countries in the top five are Iceland, Denmark, Norway and Canada.

India’s rank is 117, below nations like Pakistan (81), Palestine (108), Bangladesh (109), Ukraine (111) and Iraq (112). Its rank dropped six notched from the 2013 report, when it was on the 111 spot.

“Increasingly happiness is considered a proper measure of social progress and goal of public policy,” the report said, adding the happiness index describes how measurements of well- being can be used effectively to assess the progress of nations.

It takes into account factors like GDP per capita, social support of having someone to count on in times of trouble, freedom to make life choices, healthy life expectancy, generosity and perceptions of corruption.

The US is ranked 15, followed by UK (21), Singapore (24), Saudi Arabia (35), Japan (46) and China (84).

Afghanistan and war-torn Syria joined eight sub-Saharan countries in Africa — Togo, Burundi, Benin, Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Guinea and Chad — as the 10 least happy of 158 countries.

• UAE