<p>The World Happiness Index 2025 notes that the ranking of Ukraine has moved down from 105 in 2024 to 111 in 2025. It is easy to understand the drop as the war continues.</p>.<p>What is more interesting is that the ranking in the same index, which stood at 110 in 2021, climbed up in the succeeding years, 2022 and 2023, to 98 and 92, respectively. This is thought provoking. How does a society coping with war and the accompanying destruction actually climb up the Happiness Index?</p>.<p>The index is calculated on the basis of six indicators: the gross domestic product per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and absence of corruption. Many of these factors are linked to governance. Does a threat from an external force make governance more sensitive? Is it that individuals come together in times of distress?</p>.A reminder of freedom's value.<p>A view deriving from the Bhagavad Gita, which was narrated to Arjuna on the battlefield, links happiness to action and the detached performance of duty. The yogasutras maintain that such action comes with discipline, restraint and compassion. Discipline derives from tapas, the willingness to sacrifice desire; restraint comes from improving oneself with swadhyaya, and compassion is a result of total surrender to the goodness of a superior divine power. In times of war the willingness to sacrifice even one’s life for the country comes relatively more easily. The experience of a common threat and collective distress promotes trust and friendship, which improves the mind way beyond any conventional knowledge. Faith in a superior power which will protect is also at a high. Contrary to rational expectations, the Happiness Index improves.</p>.<p>As war continues, what tends to pull it down are factors like life expectancy and corruption. The uncertainty about life and the casualties, both military and civilian, are bound to pull the index down. This is offset to some extent by increased generosity and the willingness to sacrifice and share. Corruption again pulls the index down. Social support may improve because of greater vigilance and a feeling of a common cause. Sometimes the suffering due to shortages results in increased creativity in art, literature and music. There could also be military innovations. Despite all the setbacks, the index for Ukraine is not far from what it was in 2021, before the war started. The resilience of the human spirit is kept going by the celebration of the brave, the heroic, and the compassionate. It endures and impacts the indices.</p>
<p>The World Happiness Index 2025 notes that the ranking of Ukraine has moved down from 105 in 2024 to 111 in 2025. It is easy to understand the drop as the war continues.</p>.<p>What is more interesting is that the ranking in the same index, which stood at 110 in 2021, climbed up in the succeeding years, 2022 and 2023, to 98 and 92, respectively. This is thought provoking. How does a society coping with war and the accompanying destruction actually climb up the Happiness Index?</p>.<p>The index is calculated on the basis of six indicators: the gross domestic product per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and absence of corruption. Many of these factors are linked to governance. Does a threat from an external force make governance more sensitive? Is it that individuals come together in times of distress?</p>.A reminder of freedom's value.<p>A view deriving from the Bhagavad Gita, which was narrated to Arjuna on the battlefield, links happiness to action and the detached performance of duty. The yogasutras maintain that such action comes with discipline, restraint and compassion. Discipline derives from tapas, the willingness to sacrifice desire; restraint comes from improving oneself with swadhyaya, and compassion is a result of total surrender to the goodness of a superior divine power. In times of war the willingness to sacrifice even one’s life for the country comes relatively more easily. The experience of a common threat and collective distress promotes trust and friendship, which improves the mind way beyond any conventional knowledge. Faith in a superior power which will protect is also at a high. Contrary to rational expectations, the Happiness Index improves.</p>.<p>As war continues, what tends to pull it down are factors like life expectancy and corruption. The uncertainty about life and the casualties, both military and civilian, are bound to pull the index down. This is offset to some extent by increased generosity and the willingness to sacrifice and share. Corruption again pulls the index down. Social support may improve because of greater vigilance and a feeling of a common cause. Sometimes the suffering due to shortages results in increased creativity in art, literature and music. There could also be military innovations. Despite all the setbacks, the index for Ukraine is not far from what it was in 2021, before the war started. The resilience of the human spirit is kept going by the celebration of the brave, the heroic, and the compassionate. It endures and impacts the indices.</p>
