NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 23 – Kenyans are happier in 2023.
The latest assessment on global happiness index has placed Kenya eight slots higher in 2023 compared to 2022.
The 2023 World Happiness Report, a publication of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Kenya moved to position 111 up from 119 in 2022.
The report published annually since 2012 placed Kenya ahead of Uganda (113) and Tanzania now ranked in position 129.
Launched on Wednesday, the happiness index stated that global average life evaluations in the last three years (2020–2022) have been resilient despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Life evaluations have continued to be remarkably resilient, with global averages in the COVID-19 years 2020-2022 just as high as those in the pre-pandemic years 2017-2019,” the report states.
The report traditionally ranks global happiness anchored on basis survey data from people in over 150 countries. In 2023, the report ranked 136 countries.
Among factors the World Happiness Report considers in determining levels of happiness is people’s trust in government and institutions, poverty levels, corruption and conflicts.
Kenya’s widening happiness gap
Though Kenya is ranked as an improved nation, it still ranks worse in the list of the happiness gap between the top (happier) and bottom (sadder, or least happy) halves of the population, at 118.
The happiest African country is Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean near Madagascar, which stands at position 59 in the world.
Ironically, on March 20 which is designated as the International Day of Happiness, Kenya and three other African countries witnessed anti-government protests.
The International Day of Happiness which was mandated by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012 seeks to recognize the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal goals and aspirations in the lives of human beings around the world.
The opposition leader Raila Odinga in Kenya led Azimio Party supporters in demonstrating against President William Ruto’s administration demanding the suspension of the recruitment of new members of the electoral agency, IEBC.
Other African countries that reported protests are South Africa, Nigeria and Tunisia.
The Sustainable Development Solutions Network highlighted difficulties in maintaining rule of law as challenged that could face countries in Africa.
“The governments’ prosperity and success are determined by their capacity for raising revenue, providing services as a group, upholding the rule of law, preventing civil war, and avoiding persecution,” the report indicates.
Finland: World’s happiest nation
Finland bagged the top slot in the happiness index for the sixth year while Lithuania made it to the top 20 having moved up thirty places.
“Finland remains in the top position, for the sixth year in a row and Lithuania is the only new country in the top twenty, up more than 30 places since 2017,” the report indicated.
Some of the key factors used in the survey included healthy life expectancy, GDP per capita, social support and low corruption.
Other factors that were taken into account was the freedom to make life decisions and generosity in the community.
Denmark followed Finland as the second most happiest nation. Iceland claimed the third slot followed by Israel, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and New Zealand.
