Kenyans have been ranked as the 13th happiest people among the 54 African countries, as Somalia is ranked fifth despite the instability in the nation.
In the latest UN World Happiness Report released yesterday, Algeria leads the rest of the continent in happiness, followed by Mauritius, and Libya comes in third place.
Surprisingly, Somalia is the fifth happiest African country, despite the al Shabaab threat and insecurity. It is followed by Nigeria and South Africa.
The report takes into account the GDP per capita, life expectancy, social support and freedom to make life choices as indicators of happiness.
Globally, Norway moved into the top spot as the happiest country in the world, followed by Denmark and Iceland.
Kenya was ranked position 122 globally in the 2016 report. We have now moved 10 places up and are currently position 112 out of 155 countries, below Namibia.
“The most important problem facing Africans are unemployment, inadequate access to health facilities, poverty levels, food shortage/famine, crime and corruption,” the report states.
At the bottom 10 are Benin, Madagascar, South Sudan, Liberia, Guinea, Togo, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi and, the worst of them, Central African Republic.
The report, however, also shows Africa’s youth are very optimistic of a bright future. The continent’s rich mineral wealth, which has not been exhausted, and vast agricultural land yet to be exploited, also provide unlimited opportunities.
“In the new millennium, foreign direct investment in Africa eclipsed development aid for the first time since the colonial [era]. African people are essentially optimistic, most of all the youth who have their lives ahead of them. This optimism might serve as a self-fulfilling prophecy for the continent,” the report says.
The report uses data from the Gallup World Poll.