Kenya’s Happiness Rank Drops Again—Still Behind Libya & Nigeria
Kenya has slipped one position in the latest World Happiness Ranking, moving from 114th to 115th out of 147 countries, according to the recently released World Happiness Report.
Despite this global decline, Kenya showed progress in Africa, improving from 19th place in 2023 to 18th in 2024. The country also maintained its status as the happiest nation in East Africa.
Kenya’s Position in Africa and Beyond
Kenya outperformed several African nations, including Egypt, Uganda, Tanzania, Gambia, Ethiopia, and Botswana. However, it remained behind others such as Nigeria, Libya, Gabon, Tunisia, Morocco, and South Africa. Mauritius topped the African rankings, followed by Libya, Algeria, South Africa, and Mozambique.
A surprising revelation in the ranking showed that war-affected regions like Ukraine and Palestine ranked higher than Kenya at 111th and 108th, respectively. Similarly, Iraq and Iran, despite histories of political instability, secured better positions at 101st and 99th. On a positive note, Kenya still ranked ahead of countries like India and Jordan.
Factors Influencing the Rankings
The World Happiness Report bases its rankings on self-reported life evaluations and well-being indicators sourced from the Gallup World Poll. Respondents answer the Cantril Ladder question, rating their lives from 0 (worst) to 10 (best). The report evaluates six key factors influencing happiness across nations.
- GDP per capita – Higher income levels correlate with greater life satisfaction. While Kenya’s specific ranking in this metric wasn’t disclosed, its overall position suggests economic struggles impact well-being.
- Healthy life expectancy – Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) is used to assess citizens’ longevity and overall health quality.
- Freedom to make life choices – This measures personal autonomy and the ability to make independent life decisions.
- Generosity – Assessed through charitable donations and acts of kindness.
- Perceived corruption – Evaluates trust in government and business institutions, where Kenya ranked as the fourth worst globally.
- Social support – Measures the extent to which people feel they have someone to rely on in times of need.
Kenya’s Strengths and Challenges
Beyond these core factors, the report also assessed benevolence indicators, emotional well-being, and social trust. Kenya ranked 24th globally for helping strangers and demonstrated strong volunteering culture but scored lower in charitable donations. The report linked these trends to Kenya’s reliance on informal community support rather than structured institutional aid.
The overall findings highlight a dual reality: while Kenyans exhibit high levels of generosity and strong community ties, economic hardship and widespread corruption remain significant obstacles to national happiness. The report suggests that improving institutional trust and economic stability while leveraging Kenya’s culture of benevolence could enhance overall happiness in the long term.
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Kenya’s Happiness Rank Drops Again—Still Behind Libya & Nigeria
