KABUL — Afghanistan has once again ranked last in the annual World Happiness Report, scoring just 1.3 on a 10-point scale, making it the least happy country among 143 nations surveyed.
The report, released Thursday, ranks countries based on social support, income levels, health, freedom, generosity, and the absence of corruption. Respondents evaluate their life on a scale from zero to 10, with 10 representing the best possible life. The rankings are based on a three-year average of survey results.
Meanwhile, Finland topped the list for the eighth consecutive year, with an average score of 7.75, followed by Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden.
Why Afghanistan ranks last
Afghanistan’s position at the bottom reflects widespread poverty, political instability, and severe restrictions on human rights, particularly for women and girls. The country has faced economic collapse, an increasing humanitarian crisis, and strict social policies imposed by the Taliban since their takeover in August 2021.
Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, Professor of Economics at the University of Oxford and editor of the report, highlighted the gap between the world’s happiest and unhappiest nations:
“At the very bottom of the World Happiness Report, we have Afghanistan falling even lower, with an average life satisfaction in the country now at 1.3 out of 10,” he said. “That’s in stark contrast to Finland at the very top, where people report an average life satisfaction of 7.75.”
This year’s report focused on the theme of “caring and sharing” and found that sharing meals with others was strongly linked to well-being across all global regions. However, the study also highlighted a general rise in anxiety, worry, and stress worldwide.
The World Happiness Report, launched in 2012 to support the United Nations’ sustainable development goals, is based on data from Gallup and analyzed by an international team led by the University of Oxford.
