Happiness inequality soars in sub-Saharan Africa, report says

The study, which compared self-reported levels of happiness between 2021 and 2023 with data from 2006 to 2010, indicates a concerning trend of worsening happiness disparities in the region.

According to the findings, happiness inequality surged by more than 50% across all age brackets in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2010, individuals aged 60 and above were identified as the least happy group in 70% of the African countries surveyed. However, in the latest data, this age group now represents the least happy segment in only about a third of the countries, suggesting that unhappiness has become increasingly prevalent among younger demographics.

The report highlighted that negative emotions are equally prevalent among males and females under the age of 30 in sub-Saharan Africa. However, as individuals age, women tend to experience a more pronounced decline in happiness compared to men. This observation underscores a concerning trend of worsening well-being among women as they grow older in the region.

Emeritus Professor of Economics at the Vancouver School of Economics, University of British Columbia, and a founding editor of the World Happiness Report, Prof. John F. Helliwell, said: “The broad country coverage and annual surveys of the Gallup World Poll provide an unmatched source of data about the quality of lives all over the globe. There are now enough years of data, going back to 2006, to enable us this year to plausibly separate age and generational patterns for happiness. We found some pretty striking results.”

“There is a great variety among countries in the relative happiness of the younger, older, and in-between populations. Hence, the global happiness rankings are quite different for the young and the old, to an extent that has changed a lot over the last dozen years,” said Helliwell.

Overall, the survey revealed that young people are the happiest demographic in 28 out of the 40 surveyed countries in Africa. This finding suggests that despite the overall increase in happiness inequality, there remains a significant portion of the youth population experiencing relatively higher levels of well-being.

The Gallup World Happiness Report serves as a tool for assessing and understanding the evolving landscape of happiness and well-being globally, providing insights to inform targeted interventions and policies aimed at fostering equity in societies around the world.