Tomorrow (Thursday 20 March) is the International Day of Happiness, which was proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations in its Resolution 66/281 in 2012, to recognise the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal goals and aspirations in the lives of human beings around the world and the importance of their recognition in public policy objectives.
It also recognises the need for a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes sustainable development, poverty eradication, happiness, and the well-being of all peoples.
Resolution 66/281 was initiated by Bhutan, a country which recognised the value of national happiness over national income since the early 1970s and famously adopted the goal of Gross National Happiness over Gross National Product.
What is the International Day of Happiness?
It is a day to be happy, of course! Happiness is a fundamental human goal. The UN General Assembly recognises this goal and calls for "a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes the happiness and well-being of all peoples".
Governments and international organisations should invest in conditions that support happiness by upholding rights and incorporating well-being and environmental dimensions into policy frameworks, such as the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The effectiveness of governments upholding peace and social order, as well as in the fields of taxation, legal institutions and delivery of public services, strongly correlates with average life satisfaction.
The UN invites each person of any age, plus every classroom, business and government to join in celebration of the International Day of Happiness.
World Happiness Report 2025
Today the World Happiness Report 2025 will be launched with a series of events, live-streamed from around the world, to celebrate the International Day of Happiness.
This year's edition will once again feature a ranking of countries by their average levels of life satisfaction. This will be followed by six chapters looking at "caring and sharing" from different angles.
It explores the latest research on the importance of benevolence, empathy and trust as vital drivers of both individuals and national happiness. This is more important now than ever.
Caring and sharing
This year's theme is "caring and sharing", which reminds us that lasting happiness comes from caring from each other, feeling connected and being part of something bigger.
The day is encouraging one million extra acts of caring and sharing all around the world.
You can take part in the Day of Happiness by doing an extra act of caring or sharing, by:
You can also help to create a happier world by joining an inspiring global community and getting free resources, to pledge to create more happiness and less unhappiness in the world, by registering here.
