According to the latest World Happiness Report, compiled by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network for the United Nations, all these factors are key, and measuring happiness is fast becoming a good measure of social progress.
Six
key factors were measured to establish a global ranking of the happiest
countries; GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy,
freedom to make life choices, generosity and perceptions of corruption.
Only
five African countries rank among the top 100, and eight of the last
ten overall are in Sub-Saharan Africa, having ranked very low on some of
the key factors that lead to happiness.
Here are the first ten African countries as they appear on the global list.
Algeria
Ranking number 38 on the global list of
the happiest countries in the world is Algeria, North Africa. GDP per
capita played a big role in this ranking, followed by social support.
People
in Algeria are also quite equal in terms of happiness, out of 147
countries Algeria came in at number 47 on the list showing standard
deviation of happiness, where one is the most equal and 147 is the
least.
2. Mauritius
Number 66 on the global list, just below Turkmenistan, is the island nation of Mauritius.
In
comparison to other countries on the list, the perception of corruption
was much lower, but GDP per capita was still the biggest reason for the
high ranking.
People in Mauritius
are less equal in terms of their perception of their own happiness than
in Algeria, as Mauritius came in at number 64 on the list showing how
equal happiness was across 147 countries.
Read more: Inside Mauritius - The tropical paradise with a booming economy 3. Libya
Just beneath Mauritius on the global list is Libya, North Africa at number 67 out of a total of 147 countries. GDP per capita contributed slightly less to people's happiness in Libya in comparison to Mauritius, with social support being slightly more important.
The inequality of happiness is high in Libya, as out of 157 countries, Libya came in at number 139 with number one being the most equal.
4. Somalia
In Somalia, unlike in any other country
in the top 80 on the global list, GDP per capita was not the biggest
factor affecting happiness.
Instead
social support and freedom to make life choices were highlighted as
important in this country located in the Horn of Africa.
Like
Libya, Somalia has high inequality in terms of happiness, it ranked 133
on a list of deviation in happiness out of 157 countries. 5. Tunisia
The
North African country of Tunisia is 98 on the list of 157 happiest
countries. GDP per capita played a big part in this ranking, and
compared to other countries with similar positions on the list, social
support was seen as less important.
In comparison to some of the other countries in the top ten happiest in Africa, happiness is more equal across Tunisia.
6. Nigeria
Nigeria, West Africa, is the 103rd
happiest country in the world. GDP per capita and social support were
almost exactly as important as each other to resident's happiness, with
freedom to make life choices listed as slightly less important.
Compared to its African counterparts, Nigeria has relative equality in terms of happiness across the country.
7. Zambia
People
in Zambia, in southern Africa, found that social support was slightly
more important than GDP per capita. Freedom to make life choices was
also a key factor, putting the country at 106 on the global list.
Equality of happiness is low in Zambia, the country was listed in the 20 countries with the biggest disparity in happiness.
8. Namibia
Namibia, in southwest Africa, is ranked at 113 on the list of the world's happiest countries.
GDP
per capita was listed as the most important factor contributing to
happiness, followed by social support and then freedom to make life
choices.
Equality of happiness was
even lower in Namibia than in Zambia, it is among the seven countries
in the world with the highest disparity in happiness.
9. Ethiopia
In
Ethiopia, the GDP per capita was not a major factor in people's
happiness. Social support and a healthy life expectancy were more
important with freedom to make life choices having an impact too.
Despite ranking lower than other African countries on the happiness list, there is less disparity in happiness across Ethiopia.
10. South Africa
In South Africa, people listed GDP per capita and social support and the major factors affecting their happiness.
Happiness
across the country is quite unequal, it was listed at number 93, with
the country at number 157, South Sudan, having the biggest different in
reported happiness.
Unhappy Africa
While
countries such as Algeria and Mauritius ranked reasonably high on the
global list, eight of the last ten globally are in Sub-Saharan Africa:
Madagascar, Tanzania, Liberia, Guinea, Rwanda, Benin, Togo and Burundi,
which is at the very bottom of the list and ranked worse than Syria and
Afghanistan, the countries that round up the most unfortunate 10.
Lagos-based writer Yomi Kazeem argues
that this far from ideal state of affairs could send a good signal, in
the form of "growing awareness among a young, discerning generation of
Africans who are more critical and conscious of the shortcomings of
their governments, leaders, and local institutions."
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