Washington, April 21
With only 17 per cent people describing themselves as “thriving”, India ranked 71 in a new Gallup study on overall well-being conducted in 124 countries.

According to the study, which combined the results of Gallup's 2010 global well-being surveys, majority of Indians (64 per cent) believe they are “struggling” while 19 per cent think they are “suffering”.

The surveys asked people to rate themselves on a ladder with steps labelled 0 to 10. People who rate their current lives a 7 or higher and say they expect their lives in five years to be an 8 or higher are considered to be thriving. Those who rate their lives between 4 or less are considered "suffering", while "struggling" respondents fall between the two groups.

Interestingly, strife-torn Pakistan whose economy is in tatters ranked as the 40th happiest nation in the world with 32 per cent of its citizens saying they are thriving. However, the level of well-being in other neighbours of India are not better as per the survey.

In Bangladesh, which is placed 89 in the list, only 13 per cent respondents said their lives are thriving. Similarly, with only 12 per cent happy respondents, China is ranked 92.

Sri Lanka, which is ranked 114, has only five per cent people who consider themselves thriving.

In the list of 124 countries, Denmark topped as the most contented country as almost two-thirds of its residents described themselves as thriving.

With having 69 per cent happy people, Sweden and Canada ranked as the second most happiest countries, followed by Australia (66 per cent), Finland and Venezuela (64 per cent), Israel and New Zealand (63 per cent), Netherlands and Ireland (62 per cent).

With 61 per cent thriving population, Panama ranked 11 followed by the US where 59 per cent respondents said they are contended.

Among the least contended countries, the African nation of Chad remained at the bottom of the list with fewer than one per cent reporting they were thriving. — PTI