Happiness is not transient. As Aristotle remarks in the Nicomachean Ethics, “one day or brief time of happiness does not make a person entirely happy.” Instead, happiness is an all-encompassing phenomenon predicated on a plethora of explanatory variables, six of which – having someone to rely on, GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and freedom from corruption – have become part of the World Happiness Report (WHR) which ranked Pakistan at the 109th position in its 2025 edition. This has placed Pakistan as the happiest country in South Asia, second only to Nepal, surpassing India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. However, a careful observation of Pakistan’s culture and society, characterised by a generous spirit of charity and a robust social support system provided by familial networks, raises a pertinent question: Is Pakistan’s ranking in the World Happiness Report 2025 justified?
The generosity of Pakistanis is globally acknowledged and admired. Drew Binsky – a famous American travel blogger who has visited all 192 countries – dubbed Pakistan as having the “world’s best hospitality”. Khidmat guzari (the will to help others) and mehman nawazi (hospitality) cause Pakistanis to hold their guests in high esteem making hosting an honour.
Benevolence is entrenched in the cultural and religious fabric of the country, which stems from a strong sense of community, cultivating empathy and compassion. Such a prosocial attitude is reflected in more than $2 billion donated by Pakistanis through zakat as a way to help the marginalised by bridging welfare gaps in the country. The spirit of generosity inherent to the Pakistani community has been practically demonstrated throughout the country’s history. The most recent of these was the coronavirus pandemic, which witnessed Pakistanis coming together to raise funds and provide relief through an outpouring of donations, leading to 8 out of 10 Pakistanis giving to charity in 2021.
Pakistan’s enduring traditions of hospitality and generosity, coupled with a strong collectivist kinship culture rooted in history and religion, have allowed the citizenry to experience happiness through service to one another
Instances of Pakistanis offering food to people on the streets are well documented, and most of the citizens see it as part of their religious and civic duty. A case in point is the prevalent cultural practice of iftar dastarkhwans set up throughout the country in the month of Ramadan to feed the underprivileged. This makes the finding that 98 percent of Pakistanis give in some form– through cash, volunteering, and non-financial donations – by the Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy to ring true. Sharing and distribution of meals further strengthen social relations and lower loneliness levels, bringing higher life satisfaction – an aspect underscored in the WHR 2025.
The collectivist kinship culture marked by the concept of wasta (relationship formation) forges social connections, interdependence, and loyalty in individuals, allowing Pakistanis to have a shoulder to lean on during times of ailment and need. Interestingly, the WHR 2025 dedicates a chapter to family bonds and household size affecting people’s happiness because family provides comfort and joy.
The joint family system is a sustained characteristic of the living arrangement in the Pakistani context because of certain social advantages it offers – a division of household labour, giving care to the elderly or sick, and emotional support provided to the children because of the rich kaleidoscope of relationships – grandparents, cousins, uncles, and aunts – they find themselves in which offers numerous individuals one can count on for social support. Though nuclear families exist in the country, they are not rigid in their structure because of their strong connectivity with relatives and extended family.
Notably, the report denotes that in general, the Western liberal countries are less happy now than they were 15 years ago. This ties in with the Western hyper-individualistic and materialistic culture dictated by utilitarianism. In stark contrast, despite modernisation, Eastern societies – of which Pakistan is a part – turn to religious, spiritual, and social mores to find satisfaction in being of service to one another, an aspect augmented by prior research.
Admittedly, Pakistan has to improve on other metrics presented in the WHR. These include GDP per capita, life expectancy, and freedom from corruption. Though the process of achieving this feat would be arduous, it is not inconceivable as evidenced by Pakistan making headway in the restoration of economic stability and registering a 0.21 percent improvement in life expectancy in 2025. Furthermore, Pakistan’s thriving informal economy remains undocumented despite employing 72.5 percent of Pakistan’s non-agricultural labour force. Nevertheless, economic growth requires the adoption of pro-growth economic policies such as financial inclusion and attracting foreign direct investment. On the other hand, rooting out corruption entails putting an end to impunity and promoting transparency.
Pakistan’s enduring traditions of hospitality and generosity, coupled with a strong collectivist kinship culture rooted in history and religion, have allowed the citizenry to experience happiness through service to one another, which is distinctly different from the West. However, better performance in the WHR requires economic growth and the uprooting of corruption.