The top ten happiest countries in the world have remained largely unchanged in 2024 compared to 2023. However, the World Happiness Report 2024 shows considerable movement among the top 20 happiest countries in the world. Kuwait and Costa Rica entered the top 20 list at positions 13 and 12 in 2024, respectively. Consequently, Germany and the United States lost their positions in the top 20 ranking, dwindling to the 24th and 23rd spots, respectively.
The happiest countries no longer include any of the largest countries in the world, as only the Netherlands and Australia have populations exceeding 15 million among the top ten happiest countries. Similarly, only Canada and the United Kingdom have populations exceeding 30 million among all the top 20 happiest countries. The World Happiness Report also shows differences in happiness across age groups around the world. While happiness generally increased for all age groups in the CIS, Central and Eastern Europe, and East Asia, it fell in South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa.
Finland has been ranked as the happiest country in the world for seven consecutive years. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Better Life Index, the country outperforms the average global levels of education, environmental quality, work-life balance, and social connections. The Finnish people have a strong sense of community, and this is corroborated by the OECD Better Life Index, which states that 96% of people in the country believe they know someone they can easily rely on when needed.
Denmark takes the second spot on the list and outperforms the average in healthcare, education, job opportunities, environmental quality, and life satisfaction. According to Denmark’s official website, its sense of responsibility for social welfare and level of equality are significantly high and are closely linked to the nation’s happiness.
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Unhappiness and Negative Emotions Across Geographies
The 2024 World Happiness Report shows a mixed pattern in negative emotions across the globe. Negative emotions are comparatively less frequent in males than females across all age groups and fall slightly with age for both groups. Such negative emotions were exhibited in higher frequencies in Eastern and Central Europe compared to Western Europe in 2021-2023. CIS countries showed similar patterns, with negative emotions more frequent at higher ages and more frequent for females than males.
Asia showed considerably different patterns despite being one continent. South Asia had the highest frequency of negative emotions compared to other countries in the same period. These emotions were the highest for females and people of higher ages. However, while negative emotions were more frequent for females in Southeast Asia as well, older people were less likely to experience them in the region. In contrast, East Asia showed relatively lower negative emotions with insignificant differences in age and gender.
Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand exhibited an entirely different pattern than the rest of the world. These countries showed more negative emotions for females than males of all ages, especially those aged under 30. However, unlike anywhere else across the globe except Western Europe, negative emotions were more frequent among younger people in these countries.
With these varying trends in view, let’s look at the 31 unhappiest countries in the world. You can also look at 30 Countries With The Happiest Workers in the World and 15 Unhappiest States in the US.
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Our Methodology
To compile the list of the 31 unhappiest countries in the world, we looked at the country rankings reported in the World Happiness Report 2024, a publication of the Wellbeing Research Center at the University of Oxford, UK. The unhappiest countries are arranged in descending order of their average life evaluation score, as estimated by the report.
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31 Unhappiest Countries In The World
31. Chad
Average Life Evaluation Score: 4.471
Chad is number 31 on our list of the 31 unhappiest countries in the world. According to UNHCR, the country houses more than 470,000 refugees and asylum seekers. In addition, World Bank estimates show that over 40% of the country’s population lived below the national poverty line in 2018.
30. Kenya
Average Life Evaluation Score: 4.470
Kenya is an East African country with an Indian Ocean coastline. It has a population of 55.1 million as of 2023, according to estimates by the World Bank. The country has high poverty and economic uncertainty levels, ranking it 30th on our list.
29. Tunisia
Average Life Evaluation Score: 4.422
Tunisia holds the 29th spot on our list. According to World Bank estimates, the North African country has a population of around 12.46 million people as of 2023. Tunisia is facing severe macroeconomic crises and social problems, including a shrinking fiscal space, large deficits, violence against women, and more.
28. Benin
Average Life Evaluation Score: 4.377
According to the 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices by the US Department of State, Benin faces serious human rights issues. These include unlawful or arbitrary killings, life-threatening prison sentences, extrajudicial killings, and more.
27. Uganda
Average Life Evaluation Score: 4.372
Uganda is a landlocked country located in East Africa. It has a population of 48.58 million people as of 2023, according to World Bank estimates. The country has an average life evaluation score of 4.372 as per the World Happiness Report 2024, giving it the 27th spot on our list.
26. Myanmar
Average Life Evaluation Score: 4.354
Myanmar holds the 26th spot on our list of the 31 unhappiest countries in the world. Formerly known as Burma, it lies in northwest Southeast Asia. The country houses more than 100 ethnic groups and borders Bangladesh, India, China, Thailand, and Laos.
25. Cambodia
Average Life Evaluation Score: 4.341
Located in Southeast Asia, Cambodia suffers from widespread problems, including high poverty rates, economic turmoil, and lack of access to basic necessities. Furthermore, human rights violations and political instability also plague the country.
24. Ghana
Average Life Evaluation Score: 4.289
Officially known as the Republic of Ghana, Ghana is a West African country with a population of 34.12 million people as of 2023, according to estimates by the World Bank. The country lies adjacent to the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to its south, and ranks 24th on our list.
23. Liberia
Average Life Evaluation Score: 4.269
According to estimates by the World Bank, more than 50% of Liberia’s population lived below the national poverty line in 2019. The country houses more than 97,000 refugees and asylum seekers, as per estimates by the UN Refugee Agency.
22. Mali
Average Life Evaluation Score: 4.232
Mali ranks 22nd on our list of the 31 unhappiest countries in the world. According to the World Happiness Report 2024, its average life evaluation score is 4.232.
21. Madagascar
Average Life Evaluation Score: 4.228
Alarming estimates by the World Bank showed that more than 75% of Madagascar’s population lived below the national poverty line in 2019. According to UNICEF, the country has one of the highest child malnutrition rates in the world. More than 47% of children under the age of five in the country suffer from chronic malnutrition.
20. Togo
Average Life Evaluation Score: 4.214
Officially known as the Togolese Republic, Togo is a West African nation on the Gulf of Guinea. According to estimates by the World Bank, the country had a population of around 9.054 million people in 2023. It ranks 20th on our list.
19. Jordan
Average Life Evaluation Score: 4.186
According to the World Report 2024 released by Human Rights Watch, Jordan continues to struggle with widespread issues such as high unemployment rates, especially for women and youth. The country has seen a sharp increase in poverty after the COVID-19 pandemic, along with rising public debt.
18. India
Average Life Evaluation Score: 3.054
India is the most populated country in the world, housing more than 1.429 billion people as of 2023, according to World Bank estimates. However, the country suffers from various socioeconomic and political issues that cause its residents to be unhappy, including youth unemployment, urban issues, pollution, and more.
17. Egypt
Average Life Evaluation Score: 3.977
Egypt lies at the crossroads of northeast Africa and the Middle East. The country dates back to the time of the pharaohs. Despite its rich history, Egypt faces serious socioeconomic problems, which resulted in an average life evaluation score of 3.977 on the World Happiness Report 2024.
16. Sri Lanka
Average Life Evaluation Score: 3.898
Sri Lanka, a pear-shaped island country in South Asia, is ranked 16th among the 31 unhappiest countries in the world. It is located in the Indian Ocean on the southwest wing of the Bay of Bengal and is separated from the Indian peninsula through the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar.
15. Bangladesh
Average Life Evaluation Score: 3.886
According to estimates by the World Bank, more than 20% of Bangladesh’s population lived below the national poverty line in 2020. The country faces numerous problems that cause its residents to be unhappy, including floods, cyclones, natural disasters, rising poverty, and more.
14. Ethiopia
Average Life Evaluation Score: 3.861
Ethiopia is located in the Horn of Africa. According to estimates by the World Bank, its population is 126.5 million as of 2023. The country continues to grapple with serious problems, including political repression, poverty, ethnic tensions, human rights abuses, food insecurity, and other conflicts.
13. Tanzania
Average Life Evaluation Score: 3.781
Tanzania takes the 13th spot on our list of the 31 unhappiest countries in the world. As per estimates by the World Bank, the country’s population was 67.44 million in 2023. According to USAID, the country suffers from various problems, including low-quality public services such as water, education, and health.
12. Comoros
Average Life Evaluation Score: 3.566
Comoros’s average life evaluation score of 3.566 on the National Happiness Report 2024 gives it the 12th spot on our list. The country is a volcanic archipelago that lies off the east coast of Africa in the warm Indian Ocean waters of the Mozambique Channel.
11. Yemen
Average Life Evaluation Score: 3.561
According to the UNDP, Yemen takes the lowest spot in the world on the Human Development Index. As per Action Against Hunger, more than 25% of the country’s population suffers from mental health disorders. The ongoing humanitarian crises and conflicts in the country further add to its unhappiness.
10. Zambia
Average Life Evaluation Score: 3.502
According to World Bank estimates, 20.57 million people live in Zambia as of 2023. The landlocked country lies in southern Africa, with diverse wildlife and rugged terrain. It ranks tenth on our list of the unhappiest countries in the world.
9. Eswatini
Average Life Evaluation Score: 3.502
Formerly known as the Kingdom of Eswatini, Eswatini is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The country is also known by its former official names, Swaziland and the Kingdom of Swaziland. World Bank estimates show that it had a population of 1.211 million in 2023.
8. Malawi
Average Life Evaluation Score: 3.421
As per statistics by the World Bank, more than half of Malawi’s population lived below the national poverty line in 2019. The country also suffers from serious health-related problems, and has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS prevalence in the world.
7. Botswana
Average Life Evaluation Score: 3.383
The seventh spot on our list of the 31 unhappiest countries in the world is held by Botswana, with an average life evaluation score of 3.383 as per the World Happiness Report 2024. The country has a population of 2.675 million people as of 2023, according to World Bank estimates.
6. Zimbabwe
Average Life Evaluation Score: 3.341
Alarming statistics by the World Bank showed that over 70% of Zimbabwe’s population lived below the national poverty line in 2019. The country suffers from serious food shortages, as data from the World Food Program shows that over 60% of Zimbabweans suffer from food insecurity.
5. Democratic Republic of Congo
Average Life Evaluation Score: 3.295
The Democratic Republic of Congo is considered one of the least peaceful countries in the world, according to the Global Peace Index. World Bank estimates that more than 70% of the country’s population lived below the national poverty line in 2018.
4. Sierra Leone
Average Life Evaluation Score: 3.245
The UNDP Human Development Index (HDI) ranks Sierra Leone among the lowest in the world, with an HDI of 0.438 as of 2020. According to estimates by the World Bank, more than 55% of the country’s population lived below the national poverty line in 2018.
3. Lesotho
Average Life Evaluation Score: 3.186
Lesotho is third on our list of the unhappiest countries in the world, with an average life evaluation score of 3.186, according to the World Happiness Report 2024. The landlocked, high-altitude country is surrounded by South Africa.
2. Lebanon
Average Life Evaluation Score: 2.707
Poverty rates in Lebanon have more than tripled over the last decade, plunging the country into an array of problems. According to the World Report 2024 released by Human Rights Watch, the country continues to deal with acute financial and economic crises that have been impoverishing most of its population since 2019.
1. Afghanistan
Average Life Evaluation Score: 1.721
Afghanistan ranks first on our list of the 31 unhappiest countries in the world. The country has suffered decades of conflict, and around half of its population lives below the poverty line. Political and economic instability are the primary reasons behind the extreme unhappiness among its population.
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Disclosure. None. This article was originally published on Insider Monkey.
