Miserable World

From USA Today:

"The world's most miserable countries"

World news does not always fully capture people's level of happiness. Last year, Gallup found a majority of people in the world experienced positive emotions. Of course, in some countries and regions people were much more positive than others. People living in the countries experiencing the most positive emotions were the most likely to report high levels of enjoyment, smiling and a good night's sleep. The people in the most miserable countries, on the other hand, were the least likely to experience these emotions. These are the world's most content and miserable countries.  To identify the countries with the most and least positive experiences, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed Gallup's recent Positive Experience Index, which measured the experience of well-being the day before the survey in 138 countries. Survey respondents were asked whether they experienced lots of enjoyment, laughed or smiled a lot, felt well-rested, and were treated with respect. We also reviewed economic data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Life expectancy figures came from the World Bank.

These are the countries reporting the lowest positive emotions.

10. Nagorno-Karabakh

> Positive experience index score: 55 (tied – 8th lowest)

> Pct. smiled or laughed: 55% (tied – 16th lowest)

> GDP per capita: N/A

> Life expectancy: N/A

An ongoing war between Azerbaijan and those living in Nagorno-Karabakh, who are backed by Armenia, may be one of the main reasons it has such a low positive experience index score. An estimated 30,000 people died in the conflict and millions of people were displaced before the two nations agreed to a truce in 1994. Still, skirmishes between the two nations continue. The residents of Nagorno-Karabakh were among the least likely people surveyed to say they smiled or laughed a lot, or experienced enjoyment, or learned something new within the last day. Currently, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), along with the governments of France and the U.S., are trying to negotiate a permanent peace treaty between the sides involved.

9. Azerbaijan

> Positive experience index score: 55 (tied, 8th lowest)

> Pct. smiled or laughed: 57% (23rd lowest)

> GDP per capita: $10,789 (67th highest)

> Life expectancy: 70 (tied, 53rd lowest)

One might expect oil-rich nations to have high GDPs. Azerbaijan, however, is one example where this is not the case. Despite being an oil-rich country, Azerbaijan's estimated GDP per capita was $10,789 last year. The country's government has been criticized for rigging elections and widespread corruption. In addition, a war for control of Nagorno-Karabakh, a predominantly Armenian region, broke out years ago with Armenia backing the region's people. The conflict claimed tens of thousands of lives as millions were displaced. High percentages of residents stated they did not feel treated with respect or learn something new within the last day.

8. Yemen

> Positive experience index score: 55 (tied, 8th lowest)

> Pct. smiled or laughed: 55% (tied, 16th lowest)

> GDP per capita: $2,348 (27th lowest)

> Life expectancy: 62 (29th lowest)

Yemen suffers from political instability, threats of terrorist attacks, and a declining economy. Its citizens ranked close to last in nearly every measure of and happiness in Gallup's survey. Only half of Yemenis said they felt well-rested, and only 55% said they smiled or laughed within the past day. Both figures were among the lowest of all countries surveyed. In the wake of violent mass protests, long-time President Ali Abdullah Saleh finally gave up power at the beginning of 2012. However, al-Qaeda has gained a strong footing in the country, and terrorist activities in the country continue. For the past several years, Yemen's economy has struggled as oil revenues have shrunk. Inflation rate in Yemen was among the highest every year since 2010. Per capita GDP, too, is very low, at an estimated $2,348 last year, which ranked lower than most countries.

7. Belarus

> Positive experience index score: 54 (tied – 4th lowest)

> Pct. smiled or laughed: 53% (11th lowest)

> GDP per capita: $16,106 (50th highest)

> Life expectancy: 70 (tied – 53rd lowest)

Just 53% of Belarusians surveyed last year reported they felt rested, among the least of all countries reviewed. Similarly, a lower percentage of residents than in most other nations said they smiled or laughed the previous day.The Belarusian economy has struggled with spiking prices in recent years. The country's inflation rate was 53.2% in 2011 and 59.2% in 2012, the highest in the world in both years. The national economy is largely state-controlled and is dependent on oil and natural gas subsidies from Russia. In addition to to its economic issues, Belarus is also considered Europe's last dictatorship, and residents do not have the freedom to assemble or freedom of the press.

6. Nepal

> Positive experience index score: 54 (tied, 4th lowest)

> Pct. smiled or laughed: 55% (tied, 16th lowest)

> GDP per capita: $1,506 (15th lowest)

> Life expectancy: 67 (38th lowest)

A mere half of Nepal residents said they were treated with respect the day before Gallup's survey, nearly the worst rate among all countries reviewed. And less than one quarter of survey-respondents said they learned something new the day before, worse than in every country except for Georgia and Pakistan. One explanation could be the poor state of the economy. The inflation rate was an estimated 9.9% last year, among the higher rates in the world. GDP was also exceptionally low, at just $1,506 per person last year, among the lowest in the world. Although the country's Maoist rebellion ended in 2006, Nepal has struggled to create well-functioning, stable political institutions.

5. Serbia

> Positive experience index score: 54 (tied – 4th lowest)

> Pct. smiled or laughed: 45% (3rd lowest)

> GDP per capita: $11,085 (65th highest)

> Life expectancy: 74 (49th highest)

The Serbian people have not had a particularly pleasant recent history, starting with the Yugoslav wars in the early 1990s and later the Kosovo War. These bloody armed conflicts were accompanied by war crimes committed by most parties. The Republic of Serbia, its most recent formation, was established in 2006. The country's political corruption and weak economy likely only added to Serbians' lack of positivity. Nearly one in four Serbians are unemployed, among the highest unemployment rates of the countries surveyed. Just 45% of Serbian survey respondents said they laughed or smiled in the previous day, and 49% said they felt well-rested — both among the lowest of all of the countries.

4. Bosnia and Herzegovina

> Positive experience index score: 54 (tied – 4th lowest)

> Pct. smiled or laughed: 47% (4th lowest)

> GDP per capita: $8,293 (60th lowest)

> Life expectancy: 76 (33rd highest)

Bosnia and Herzegovina suffered through a violent ethnic conflict in the early and mid-1990s following the breakup of Yugoslavia. Although it has been nearly two decades since the war ended, international peacekeeping forces remain active in the country. Local institutions, including schools, are often segregated along ethnic lines between Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs. The country is relatively poor by European standards, with a per capita GDP of just $8,293 in 2013, while its unemployment rate was an exceptionally high 27.0% last year. A number of former Yugoslavian nations had similarly high unemployment, including Serbia, Macedonia, and Croatia.

3. Lithuania

> Positive experience index score: 53

> Pct. smiled or laughed: 54% (14th lowest)

> GDP per capita: $22,566 (35th highest)

> Life expectancy: 73 (62nd highest)

Lithuania had a relatively high GDP per capita, at $22,566, in 2013. Despite the seemingly capable economy, Lithuanians were among the unhappiest people in the world. The country has a high suicide rate. It also had among the highest alcohol consumption per capita in the world, according to the World Health Organization. Heavy alcohol consumption can exacerbate or, in some cases, even cause depression. Lithuanians were among the least likely to say they have experienced enjoyment in the previous day or to say they smiled or laughed in the preceding 24 hours.

2. Chad

> Positive experience index score: 52

> Pct. smiled or laughed: 37% (the lowest)

> GDP per capita: $2,543 (30th lowest)

> Life expectancy: 49 (3rd lowest)

Chad is one of the poorest countries and most undeveloped nations in the world. According to the World Bank, 47% of Chad's residents lived in poverty in 2011, with a majority of the poor living in rural areas. As of 2011, life expectancy at birth was an abysmal 49 years in Chad, among the lowest in the world. Less than 2% of the population in Chad, largely a desert country, had access to electricity. A conflict between native Chadians and Muslims in the country continues. Chad ranked close to the bottom in the percentage of its people who said they smiled or laughed in the past day, and in the percentage of people who felt they were treated with respect.

1. Syria

> Positive experience index score: 36

> Pct. smiled or laughed: 41% (2nd lowest)

> GDP per capita: N/A

> Life expectancy: 75 (40th highest)

Syria's positive experience index score of 36 marks the all-time lowest score for any country Gallup has ever surveyed. Just 36% of Syrians said they felt happy in the last day, the lowest percentage in the world. Syrians were also less likely to feel well-rested than people almost anywhere else in the world. The country is in the middle of a civil war between the nation's military forces and rebels seeking to oust President Bashar Al-Assad. The war has taken the lives of more than 160,000 people, according to some sources. The IMF has not gathered data from Syria since 2010, nor does it produce estimates.

^ It does surprise me that 6 out of the 10 countries on this list are in Europe. I expected the majority to be in Africa and Asia. ^

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/05/24/most-miserable-countries/9471197/