Sad Kenya: UN report ranks Kenyans among most unhappy in the world

A UN World Happiness Report 2018 ranks Kenya in position 124 out of 156 countries. (Courtesy)

Kenya has been ranked among the world’s most unhappy countries according to a new report.

The UN World Happiness Report 2018 ranks Kenya in position 124 out of 156 countries.

The country however ranks higher than East African neighbours, with Uganda in position 135, Sudan in 137th, Rwanda (151), Tanzania (153), South Sudan (154) and Burundi who were ranked last (156).

Most African countries generally scored poorly, ranked in the bottom 10 positions, and included Central African Republic (155), Zimbabwe (144), Malawi (136), Haiti (145) and Liberia (148).

Happiest country

Finland was ranked the happiest country in the world, followed by Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Canada, New Zealand, Sweden and Australia in that order.

According to the report, the ranking index was based on the countries' income, freedom, trust, healthy life expectancy, social support and generosity. Kenya’s life expectancy stands at 62 years.

Factors making Africans unhappy include lack of jobs, wars, minimal access to healthcare and high corruption levels.

Kenya was ranked 112 out of 155 countries in 2017 and 122 in 2016.