Measuring subjective ideas like happiness, life satisfaction, and general well-being is a tricky business. Are wealth and prosperity legitimate measures of happiness? How about safety and health outcomes? In some countries, democracy is viewed as a key component to happiness, yet there are countries under authoritarian rule that score high. Questions like these make “ranking happiness” a particularly challenging puzzle, but also one worth pursuing. If policymakers have a clearer picture of what conditions can foster happiness, they can enact policies that can improve the lives of people living their jurisdictions.
Here are the top 20 saddest countries in the world.
| Rank | Country | Happiness Index Score |
| 1. | Afghanistan | 1.9 |
| 2. | Lebanon | 2.4 |
| 3. | Sierra Leone | 3.1 |
| 4. | Zimbabwe | 3.2 |
| 5. | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 3.2 |
| 6. | Botswana | 3.4 |
| 7. | Malawi | 3.5 |
| 8. | Comoros | 3.5 |
| 9. | Tanzania | 3.7 |
| 10. | Zambia | 4.0 |
| 11. | Madagascar | 4.0 |
| 12. | India | 4.0 |
| 13. | Liberia | 4.0 |
| 14. | Ethiopia | 4.1 |
| 15. | Jordan | 4.1 |
| 16. | Togo | 4.1 |
| 17. | Egypt | 4.2 |
| 18. | Mali | 4.2 |
| 19. | Gambia | 4.3 |
| 20. | Bangladesh | 4.3 |
