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https://www.visualcapitalist.com/countries-become-sadder-since-2010/

The Countries That Have Become Sadder Since 2010
Published 1 week ago on April 23, 2024
By Pallavi Rao
Graphics/Design:
Miranda Smith
See this visualization first on the Voronoi app.

A chart showing the top countries with the biggest happiness declines
(measured out of 10) between 2010–24.

The Countries That Have Become Sadder Since 2010
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Can happiness be quantified?

Some approaches that try to answer this question make a distinction
between two differing components of happiness: a daily experience part,
and a more general life evaluation (which includes how people think
about their life as a whole).

The World Happiness Report—first launched in 2012—has been making a
serious go at quantifying happiness, by examining Gallup poll data that
asks respondents in nearly every country to evaluate their life on a
0–10 scale. From this they extrapolate a single “happiness score” out of
10 to compare how happy (or unhappy) countries are.

More than a decade later, the 2024 World Happiness Report continues the
mission. Its latest findings also include how some countries have become
sadder in the intervening years.

Which Countries Have Become Unhappier Since 2010?
Afghanistan is the unhappiest country in the world right now, and is
also 60% unhappier than over a decade ago, indicating how much life has
worsened since 2010.

In 2021, the Taliban officially returned to power in Afghanistan, after
nearly two decades of American occupation in the country. The Islamic
fundamentalist group has made life harder, especially for women, who are
restricted from pursuing higher education, travel, and work.

On a broader scale, the Afghan economy has suffered post-Taliban
takeover, with various consequent effects: mass unemployment, a drop in
income, malnutrition, and a crumbling healthcare system.

Rank Country Happiness Score
Loss (2010–24) 2024 Happiness
Score (out of 10)
1 🇦🇫 Afghanistan -2.6 1.7
2 🇱🇧 Lebanon -2.3 2.7
3 🇯🇴 Jordan -1.5 4.2
4 🇻🇪 Venezuela -1.3 5.6
5 🇲🇼 Malawi -1.2 3.4
6 🇿🇲 Zambia -1.2 3.5
7 🇧🇼 Botswana -1.2 3.4
8 🇾🇪 Yemen -1.0 3.6
9 🇪🇬 Egypt -1.0 4.0
10 🇮🇳 India -0.9 4.1
11 🇧🇩 Bangladesh -0.9 3.9
12 🇨🇩 DRC -0.7 3.3
13 🇹🇳 Tunisia -0.7 4.4
14 🇨🇦 Canada -0.6 6.9
15 🇺🇸 U.S. -0.6 6.7
16 🇨🇴 Colombia -0.5 5.7
17 🇵🇦 Panama -0.5 6.4
18 🇵🇰 Pakistan -0.5 4.7
19 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe -0.5 3.3
20 🇮🇪 Ireland -0.5 6.8
N/A 🌍 World +0.1 5.5

Nine countries in total saw their happiness score drop by a full point
or more, on the 0–10 scale.

Noticeably, many of them have seen years of social and economic
upheaval. Lebanon, for example, has been grappling with decades of
corruption, and a severe liquidity crisis since 2019 that has resulted
in a banking system collapse, sending poverty levels skyrocketing.

In Jordan, unprecedented population growth—from refugees leaving Iraq
and Syria—has aggravated unemployment rates. A somewhat abrupt change in
the line of succession has also raised concerns about political
stability in the country.

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RELATED TOPICS:CanadaIndiaUnited StatesHappinessWorld Happiness
ReportTalibanAfghanistanLebanonUnhappinessJordanHappiness LossHappiness
Declines
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