Report: Kenyans the happiest people in East Africa

Kenyans Have been ranked the happiest people in East Africa, the latest World Happiness study has revealed.

The study says Kenyans are more positive and hopeful than citizens of the other countries in the region.

According to the 2020 UN report, Kenya is ranked at position 121 out of 153 countries assessed. Uganda comes second at position 126, as Burundi is third at position 140, Tanzania (148) and Rwanda (150) while Sudan is the worst ranked in the region.

Ravaged by civil war and epidemic hunger, South Sudanese are the saddest people of all replacing Burundi which initially held position in 2018 and 2019 ranking.

Despite the oil business giving the youngest country in the continent hope; frequent political instability seems to have influenced the results making it the most awful country to live in.

In the continent, Kenyans were ranked 18 in the happiness index.

Top in Africa are Libyans who are the happiest but ranked at position 80 globally followed by Ivory Coast citizens (85), Benin citizens (86), Congolese (88) and Ghanaians (91).

Nigerians (115) who ranked highly in 2019 happiest country index, lost their place to other West African countries such as Ivory Coast and Ghana.

Finland retained its top position globally, with Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland and Norway following in that order.

The rankings are based on several parameters, including social support, Gross Domestic Product, per capita income, life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity and perception on corruption.

Capital cities

In capital cities rankings, the cities were ranked based on how positively their residents evaluate their lives on average and how positively they evaluate their expected future.

Nairobi tops African cities at position 56 on future life evaluation but ranked 139 generally.

It is first in the EAC bloc, where Mogadishu comes second with 98, Dar es Salaam (138), Kigali (156) and Juba (169).

On positive effect, Mogadishu beats Nairobi to first in Africa.

The World Happiness study is conducted every year by the Earth Institute of Columbia University.