War-scarred Somalis happier than Kenyans – UN report
Kenyans are not happy people. This is according to the latest the World Happiness Report 2017 which was released by the United Nations on Monday.
The report tracks well-being by ranking 155 countries by their happiness levels.
Kenya was ranked 112 overall and 12th in Africa, coming behind her neighbour Somalia ranked 93 overall and 5th in Africa.
Norway was ranked the happiest country in the world followed by Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland, Finland, the Netherlands, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Sweden.
The happiest African country is Algeria (53), followed by Mauritius (64), Libya (68), Morocco (84), Somalia (93), Nigeria (95), South Africa (101), Tunisia (102), Egypt (104) and Sierra Leone (106).
STATE OF MIND
According to the report, happiness is more than a state of mind. It is also a statistical gold mine full of insights into public health and economic prosperity, and is a crucial consideration for the policy-making of global governments.
This year’s report also focused on happiness in the workplace.
Data was collected from people in over 150 countries.
Real gross domestic product per capita was one of the key measurements, said the report.
Others included generosity, a healthy life expectancy, having someone to count on, perceived freedom to make life choices and freedom from corruption, the report’s authors argued.
SOUND POLICY
“The World Happiness Report continues to draw global attention around the need to create sound policy for what matters most to people — their well-being,” said Jeffrey Sachs, the report’s co-editor and director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, in a statement.
“As demonstrated by many countries, this report gives evidence that happiness is a result of creating strong social foundations. It’s time to build social trust and healthy lives, not guns or walls. Let’s hold our leaders to this fact.”
People in the Central African Republic are unhappiest, according to the survey, followed by Burundi (154), Tanzania (153), Syria (152) and Rwanda (151).