Sharp drop in happiness levels in July 2024 : Ipsos IndiaBus

The July 2024 wave of the Ipsos IndiaBus Happiness Monitor has shown a sharp drop in happiness levels, by a significant 7% over the previous month, and notably it repeats the pattern of July 2023. Monsoons, inundation of areas with flooding, landslides – both ecological and economic impact have made happiness levels recede.

Delving deeper to understand the patterns emerging and the target groups, cities with the biggest drops in happiness, the report states, firstly, citizens from smaller cities and from lower socio economic groups were the most impacted by the vagaries of the weather and its economic impact and displayed bigger drop in happiness levels - SEC C (-9% July 2024; -4% July 2023), lower education (-10% July 2024; -3% July 2023), Tier 3 (-17% July 2024; -8% July 2023), and non-metro (-10% July 2024; -5% July 2023). Further, the coastlines, hilly terrains and the regions with maximum monsoon woes showed higher lowering of happiness levels. The East zone (-20% July 2024; -4% June 2024), North zone (-8%, July 2024; -1% July 2023), South zone (-6% July 2024; -10% July 2023).

Happiness levels were down across demographics and cohorts - SEC B (-7% July 2024; -4% July 2023), females (-7% July 2024; -3% July 2024), males (-8% July 2024; -3% July 2023), 45+ age group (-10% July 2024; -3% July 2023), 31-45 years (-6% July 2024; -3% July 2023), 18-30 years (-8% July 2024; -3% July 2023). And the cohorts of full time parents/ homemakers (-11% July 2024; -7% July 2023), self employed (-8% July 2024; -7% July 2023), students (-5% July 2024; -1% July 2023), etc.

Parijat Chakraborty, Group Service Line Leader, Public Affairs, Corporate Reputation, CSR and Sustainability, said, "Trawling through the findings of the July 2024 happiness report and juxtaposing it with the July 2023 report showed us some distinct patterns of how happiness levels were considerably impacted by the weather related eventualities, and the havoc caused in the lives of citizens and the collateral economic impact of the destruction citizens were left to cope with; and the rise of food prices, further pinching their pockets, alongwith the medical expenses. While we look forward to the monsoons, climate change has shown the more damaging side of the monsoons and putting the focus on advance preparedness in minimizing the adverse impact on citizens."

"The impact is all pervasive, across cohorts, age groups and cities, but Tier 3 cities, SEC C. lower education, east, north and south zones have borne the maximum brunt, showing downslide in happiness. In fact, the loss of earning of people working in the informal sector is another reason for lower happiness, particularly in lower SECs, smaller towns etc," added Chakraborty.

Happiness lowers around personal relationships, social fabric, well being, work, macro factors

Citizens have reported lower happiness levels across their complete areas of relationships, health, work, social ecosystem, etc., and once again July 2024 was seen to display similar pattern as in July of 2023. This was quite alarming given the timing and the impact.

Citizens in July 2024 have shown a drop in happiness across family (-3%), health (-4%), friends circle (-3%), neighbours (-5%), work (-2%), situation of the country (-5%), situation of the world (-5%). The biggest drop being for economic/ financial conditions (-7%). Though in July 2023 happiness levels had fallen around family (-2%), health (-1%), neighbours (-2%), situation of the country (-4%), situation of the world (-4%), economic/ financial conditions (-1%), etc.