While overall the world is improving, there is not much to be optimistic about in the 11 saddest countries in the world. Most studies tend to focus on the happiest countries in the world. These are almost always dominated by countries located in Western Europe such as Norway, Denmark, and Switzerland. These countries enjoy a high GDP per capita, a high standard of living, a low unemployment rate and a high economy.
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However, little attention is paid to the countries that rank at the bottom of such a list. The outlook does not seem to be positive for them, with most of these countries facing economic instability, high unemployment and in more cases than not, internal strife. Unsurprisingly, a lot of the countries featured on this list belong to Africa, which has several countries where most of the population lives in poverty.
Nowadays, happiness is considered to be an extremely important indicator of a country’s social progress. It helps to realize the plight of the citizens in a country with poor progress, while also appreciating the advantages afforded to citizens in a country with a positive outlook.
The World Happiness Report, prepared by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, takes into consideration a multitude of factors, such as GDP per capita, social support, life expectancy, perception of corruption, freedom to make choices and generosity in order to come up with a ranking of the world’s happiest countries as well as the saddest countries in the world.
11. Central African Republic
While the country has arable land as well as significant deposits, corruption and low human development have condemned it to become one of the saddest countries in the world. Furthermore, despite education in the country being free, nearly half of the population is still illiterate.
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10. Chad
Despite massive reserves of crude oil, political instability, violence and corruption have seen Chad being consistently ranked among the poorest nations in the world. Most of the population lives in poverty, with some estimates stating that over 80% of the population lives below the poverty line. Due to the coups that have taken places in the country, foreign investors are still hesitant to invest in the country.
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9. Guinea
Guinea has suffered allegations of torture conducted by security forces in recent years, as well as abuse meted out to women and children in the country. The country’s happiness status has further deteriorated recently due to it being the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak that claimed thousands of lives.
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8. Ivory Coast
The Ivory Coast has had a long history of political unrest and violence, which have led to investors being extremely wary of investing in the country. The civil war in the country, which started in 2011, has greatly damaged the nation, and it will struggle to rebuild itself.
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7. Burkina Faso
While the country is improving consistently, corruption, as well as terrorist incursions in addition to political strife, have led to a negative outlook for the country, which will take a while to improve.
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6. Afghanistan
Once a country set on its way to modernization, the country is now a shell of its former self. The main reason behind its demise was the Soviet invasion, which led to the creation of Taliban, which in turn absolutely decimated the country. Even though rebuilding processes are being undertaken, it will take a lot to restore this nation, especially considering the fact that the Taliban still regularly carry out suicide bombings.
5. Rwanda
The 1994 Rwandan Genocide destroyed the country, not just physically but by damaging its soul as well. The economy plunged after the massacre and even though improvements are being made, it is yet to fully recover.
4. Benin
While the country only gained independence in 1960, it has had a host of military coups and governments, which have led to an unstable economy and hence, have had a negative impact on the happiness scale.
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3. Syria
After rebels decided to overthrow Basher Al Assad’s cruel regime in Syria in 2011, the country has been plunging to new depths every year. The civil war has destroyed much of the infrastructure of the country and ensured no investor will even consider the country. The rise of the terrorist group ISIS has further seen the civilians either fleeing or living in utter terror.
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2. Burundi
The country has witnessed its shares of massacres, including ethnic cleansing and two genocides, which in turn already led to a poor economy and the people living in poverty. However, 2015 was another terrible year for the country, with a failed coup attempt and the elections that took place being completely rejected and criticized vehemently by the international community.
1. Togo
Over 81% of the country’s population lives in poverty, which is why Togo takes the top spot in the 10 saddest countries in the world. Furthermore, illiteracy is rampant in the country because parents simply cannot afford to educate their children. In addition, infant mortality rates in the country are extremely high.
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