India better placed than developed nations in `Happy Planet Index'

India has been placed 35th among 143 countries, including the US and the UK, in terms of happy lives and eco-friendliness in the 'Happy Planet Index (HPI)' compiled by UK-based New Economics Foundation.

The highest HPI score is that of Costa Rica (76.1 out of 100). As well as reporting the highest life satisfaction in the world, Costa Ricans also have the second-highest average life expectancy of the New World (second only to Canada).

All this with a footprint of 2.3 global hectares. Whilst this success is indeed impressive, Costa Rica narrowly fails to achieve the goal of 'one-planet living': consuming its fair share of natural resources (indicated by a footprint of
2.1 global hectares or less), the report said.

The highest ranking Group of 20 (G20) country in terms of HPI is Brazil, in 9th place out of 143. Together, Latin American and Caribbean nations have the highest mean HPI score for any region (59 out of 100).

The bottom ten HPI scores were all suffered by sub-Saharan African countries, with Zimbabwe bottom of the table with an HPI score of 16.6 out of 100.

Rich developed nations fall somewhere in the middle. The highest placed Western nation is the Netherlands - 43rd out of 143. The UK still ranks midway down the table - 74th, behind Germany, Italy and France. It is just pipped by Georgia and Slovakia, but beats Japan and Ireland. The USA comes a long way back in 114th place.