Nigerians’ happiness level fell a lot in 2023, says UN-backed report

Nigerians became quite unhappy in the last one year.

Nigeria’s ranking in the World Happiness Report has taken a significant tumble, dropping seven spots from 95th in 2023 to 102nd in the latest edition released this Wednesday. This means the country no longer ranks among the 100 happiest nations globally.

Nigeria’s 2023 performance itself was a surprise as the country rose from 118th in 2022 despite widespread hardship.

In the latest ranking, Finland retains its crown as the happiest country for the seventh consecutive year, according to the report by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Nordic nations continue to dominate the top ranks, with Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden following closely behind Finland.

The report, released annually to mark the International Day of Happiness, surveyed 143 countries. It is a partnership of Gallup, the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and the WHR’s Editorial Board.

Afghanistan remains at the bottom of the list, grappling with the humanitarian crisis following the Taliban takeover in 2020. Notably, the United States and Germany also fell out of the top 20 happiest nations for the first time since the report’s inception over a decade ago, landing at 23rd and 24th respectively. Costa Rica and Kuwait, on the other hand, made their debut in the top 20, ranking 12th and 13th.

The World Happiness Report factors in self-reported life satisfaction evaluations alongside metrics like GDP per capita, social support networks, health expectancy, freedom, generosity, and levels of corruption to determine national happiness rankings.

Experts attribute Finland’s consistent top ranking to factors like strong social connections to nature, healthy work-life balance, and a more attainable definition of success compared to cultures that equate success solely with financial gain. Additionally, Finland’s robust welfare system, high trust in institutions, low corruption levels, and free access to healthcare and education all contribute to citizen well-being.

A concerning trend identified in the report is the widening gap in happiness within regions, except for Europe. This inequality is particularly pronounced among the elderly and in Sub-Saharan Africa. The report attributes this disparity to unequal access to income, education, healthcare, social acceptance, trust, and supportive social environments at various levels – family, community, and national.

Nigeria’s happiness level ranked poorer (108) when evaluated by how happy its young people are. It ranked 130 when the old were considered.

What they said:

Prof John F. Helliwell, Emeritus Professor of Economics at the Vancouver School of Economics, University of British Columbia, and a founding Editor of the World Happiness Report, 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.”

Jon Clifton, CEO of Gallup, said:

“Effective policymaking relies on solid data, yet there remains a significant lack of it in various parts of the world. Today’s World Happiness Report attempts to bridge some of these gaps by offering insights into people’s perceptions of life on Earth. It offers more than just national rankings; it provides analytics and advice for evidence-based planning and policymaking. Our role in research on World Happiness is a natural fit with our longstanding mission: providing leaders with the right information about what people say makes life worthwhile.”

Prof Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, Director of Oxford’s Wellbeing Research Centre, Professor of Economics and Behavioural Science at Saïd Business School, and an Editor of the World Happiness Report, said:

“Once again the World Happiness Report uncovers some special empirical insights at the cutting edge of the wellbeing research frontier. Piecing together the available data on the wellbeing of children and adolescents around the world, we documented disconcerting drops especially in North America and Western Europe. To think that, in some parts of the world, children are already experiencing the equivalent of a mid-life crisis demands immediate policy action.

“It is a great privilege and responsibility for our Centre at Oxford to become the next custodian of the World Happiness Report and we’re committed to continuing to give the world the best evidence on the state of global happiness in collaboration with our partners.”

The World Happiness Report is a partnership of Gallup, the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and the WHR’s Editorial Board.