Clearly, we are not happy people: Kenya’s position in the UN’s World Happiness report

By , K24 Digital
On Sat, 21 Mar, 2020 15:33 | 2 mins read
Kenya’s happiness index is 4.583 out of the possible 10, making it stand at position 121 in the world, the UN's World Happiness Report shows. [PHOTO | FILE]
Kenya’s happiness index is 4.583 out of the possible 10, making it stand at position 121 in the world, the UN's World Happiness Report shows. PHOTO | FILE
Kenya’s happiness index is 4.583 out of the possible 10, making it stand at position 121 in the world, the UN's World Happiness Report shows. [PHOTO | FILE]

Kenya’s happiness index is 4.583 out of the possible 10, making it stand at position 121 in the world, the United Nations’ eighth World Happiness Report released Friday, March 20, shows.

Kenya’s position in the global rankings means it has bettered only 32 countries.

The parameters the UN relied on to compile the report include: GDP per capita, social support, life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, extent of generosity, and freedom from corruption.

Finland has been named the world's happiest country for the third year running with an index of 7.809. Denmark follows with a score of 7.646. Switzerland is third with an index of 7.560, Iceland fourth with a score of 7.504 and Norway ranks fifth with an index of 7.488.

World super-power, USA, is at position 18 with a score of 6.940. The UK is 13th with an index of 7.165. Germany is 17th with a score of 7.076. Italy is 30th with an index of 6.387.

“The top countries tend to have high values for most of the key variables that have been found to support well-being, including income, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom, trust and generosity,” said the UN.

The happiest African country is Libya at position 80 in the world with a score of 5.489, followed by Ivory Coast at position 85 with a score of 5.233 and Benin, which has an index of 5.216, and is one position below Ivory Coast. South Africa is at position 109 with a score of 4.814.

“The biggest gainer was Benin, up 1.64 points and moving from the bottom of the ranking to near the middle,” said the UN.

Kenya’s posting – 121 – is better than that of Namibia (122), Liberia (124), Uganda (126), Chad (127), Tunisia (128), Mauritania (129), DR-Congo (131), Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland – 132), Togo (135), Ethiopia (136), Madagascar (137), Egypt (138), Sierra Leone, Burundi, Zambia, Lesotho, Malawi, Botswana.

All the tail-end positions in the happiness index were taken up by African countries, except Afghanistan, which ranked last at position 153 with a score of 2.567.

Just above Afghanistan was South Sudan (152; with a score of 2.817), Zimbabwe (151; with a score of 3.299), Rwanda (150; with a score of 3.312), Central African Republic (149; with a score of 3.476), and Tanzania (148; with a score of 3.476).

The studies were conducted between 2017 and 2019, and before the COVID-19 began ravaging countries.