Afghanistan Again the World’s Unhappiest Country; Women’s Life Satisfaction Hits Lowest Level
The annual “World Happiness Report” reveals that Afghanistan has once again ranked as the world’s unhappiest country, with women’s average life satisfaction scoring only 1.2 out of 10. Meanwhile, Finland has topped the list of the happiest countries in the world for the ninth consecutive year.
This report is based on data from the global Gallup survey and interviews with residents of more than 147 countries. Countries are assessed according to indicators such as quality of life, economic conditions, life expectancy, freedom of choice, social trust, justice, and confidence in government.
Regarding Afghanistan, the report states that since 2013, the country has experienced a declining trend in happiness indicators. Afghan citizens report the lowest levels of positive emotions and simultaneously place the country among the five nations with the highest levels of negative feelings.
Women’s situation is described as particularly stark. The average life satisfaction of women is at the lowest recorded level, and the report emphasizes that life for women in Afghanistan is “very difficult.” This assessment comes amid the continued extensive restrictions imposed by the Taliban regime on women’s education, employment, and social participation—restrictions that international organizations have repeatedly warned about due to their severe psychological and social consequences.
At the other end of the spectrum, Finland retains first place with a score of 7.7 out of 10. Iceland, Denmark, and Costa Rica closely follow. Costa Rica’s rise to fourth place marks the highest ranking ever achieved by a Latin American country in this report.
Northern European countries continue to dominate the top rankings, with Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Israel, Luxembourg, and Switzerland also featuring among the ten happiest nations. Conversely, after Afghanistan, Sierra Leone is named as the next unhappiest country with a score of 3.2. Botswana, Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Sierra Leone occupy the bottom five positions on the list.
According to the report, no country other than Afghanistan scored below three points. The United States ranks 23rd, a slight decline from roughly a decade ago when it was 20th.
The annual World Happiness Report is prepared and published in collaboration with the Gallup Institute, the Oxford Center for Health Studies, the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and the report’s editorial board.
