Source: Zim stuck on global despair rankings -Newsday Zimbabwe
The report indicated that Zimbabwe’s ranking reflected an unhappiness measurement and demonstrates bottom status.ZIMBABWE has maintained its position among the world’s 10 unhappiest countries ranking alongside nations such as Afghanistan, South Sudan and Rwanda, according to a new global report on poverty and wellbeing.
The report attributes Zimbabwe’s continued low ranking to deep-rooted economic and social challenges, including extreme poverty, high unemployment, weak public services, health crises, inequality and governance failures.
Analysts say the country’s ranking reflects a broader regional trend in sub-Saharan Africa, where persistent conflict, State fragility, and systemic institutional breakdowns have left millions living in despair.
The findings are contained in the Poverty, Conflict and Despair: Mapping the World’s Unhappiest Regions report, which shows that Zimbabwe, South Sudan and Rwanda have consistently featured among the bottom 10, signalling entrenched structural and socio-economic problems.
The report further indicated that Zimbabwe’s ranking reflected an unhappiness measurement and demonstrates bottom status.
“Bottom 10 regularity, reflecting sustained ranking, demonstrates a pattern. Ranking achievement, resulting from conflict; collapse, demonstrates despair,” the report said.
The report notes that the world’s unhappiest regions are largely concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa and areas affected by prolonged conflict. Afghanistan has remained a consistently bottom-ranked country between 2021 and 2024.
Other countries cited for persistent low rankings include Chad, Botswana and Malawi, with average happiness scores ranging between 4.0 and 4.5 on a 10-point scale.
Conflict-affected States such as Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Somalia, the Central African Republic, Venezuela and Myanmar were also highlighted, with war, political instability and State fragility severely undermining quality of life.
Extreme economic deprivation remains a key driver of unhappiness, with GDP per capita in affected countries estimated at between US$500 and US$2 000 (PPP-adjusted), alongside unemployment rates of 20% to 50%.
Health challenges, including low life expectancy of 45 to 60 years, high HIV/Aids and malaria prevalence, maternal and child mortality, malnutrition and food insecurity, were identified as major contributors.
The report further cites conflict-related displacement, civilian casualties, trauma and the breakdown of government institutions and service delivery as worsening living conditions.
Additional factors include erosion of the rule of law, rising corruption, disruptions to education systems, environmental stress caused by droughts and flooding, climate-related agricultural decline and geographic disadvantages such as landlocked status.
Gender inequality, restrictions on women’s rights, limited access to education and healthcare, violence against women, ethnic discrimination and social marginalisation were also highlighted as deepening despair.
Regional scholar Priya Sharma of the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore said the repeated appearance of Zimbabwe, South Sudan and Rwanda among the bottom-ranked countries reflected “a pattern of regional unhappiness driven by systemic and long-standing failures.”
“South Sudan’s ranking, reflecting unhappiness measurement, demonstrates bottom status. Zimbabwe’s ranking, reflecting unhappiness measurement, demonstrates bottom status.”
The report also points to economic sanctions, international isolation, hyperinflation, currency instability, political polarisation and social divisions as factors further contributing to persistent unhappiness in affected countries.
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