World sinks to 10-year happiness low: Survey

LONDON: World happiness levels are at their lowest in over a decade, with the number of people who say they feel stressed and worried rising, according to a survey published yesterday.

Conflict-hit Central African Republic (CAR) was the world’s unhappiest place last year, with Iraq in second place, according to the ranking by pollsters Gallup.

“Collectively, the world is more stressed, worried, sad and in pain today than we’ve ever seen it,” its managing editor, Mohamed Younis, wrote in a foreword to the study.

Gallup asked over 154,000 people in 146 countries if they had felt pain, worry, stress, anger or sadness the previous day.

It said the global mood was at its gloomiest since the first survey in 2006.

Sub-Saharan Africa led the way, with 24 of 35 countries surveyed reaching a 10-year happiness lows in 2017, often due to civic unrest crippling healthcare systems and causing people to go hungry.

CAR has been ravaged by violence and about three in four residents said they experienced pain and worry.

Wealthier nations were not immune to the dip in mood. About half the Americans surveyed said they were stressed – roughly the same proportion of CAR respondents.

Economist Jan-Emmanuel De Neve said it is “disturbing” to see the global mood souring against a backdrop of rising wealth and material progress.

“There is probably a more structural indicator around the increasing wealth not being inclusive enough,” said the associate professor of Oxford University who has written about the link between income and happiness. – Reuters