Afghanistan ranks last in world happiness index for third year in a row

Afghanistan has been ranked last out of 146 countries in the UN World Happiness Report 2022, which was released on Friday.

This is the third consecutive year Afghanistan is placed at the very bottom of the world happiness rankings.

In the index, Afghanistan has scored 2.4 out of 10. Last year, it scored 2.5.

“This presents a stark reminder of the material and immaterial damage that war does to its many victims and the fundamental importance of peace and stability for human well-being,” Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, one of the report’s editors, said in a news release.

Finland has been crowned the world’s happiest country for the fifth consecutive year in the annual index. Denmark comes second, followed by Iceland, Switzerland, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Sweden, Norway, Israel, New Zealand, Austria, Australia, Ireland, Germany, Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Czechia (Czech Republic), Belgium and France.

“Data considered in the World Happiness Report offers a snapshot of how people around the world evaluate their own happiness and some of the latest insights from the science of well-being,” said Lara Aknin, another editor of the report.

“This information is incredibly powerful for understanding the human condition and how to help people, communities, and countries work toward happier lives,” she said.