Four Arab countries were listed among the top seven most “miserable” countries worldwide. This included Yemen at the seventh spot, Sudan ranking fifth, Lebanon placing fourth, and Syria in the third position, according to the Global Misery Index in 2022.
This index tracks various aspects, including education, health, and individual income, in each country.
Topping the misery chart was Zimbabwe, while Ukraine, amidst its harsh war with Russia, was eighth.
The Global Misery Index calculates these rankings using a formula that adds up inflation, double the unemployment rate, and bank-lending rates, subtracting the annual percentage change in real GDP per capita.
Similar to Zimbabwe, Lebanon’s skyrocketing inflation significantly contributed to its high misery rank, according to economist Steve Hanke.
Meanwhile, ongoing conflicts over several years in Syria and Yemen, along with recent clashes in Sudan, were principal reasons for their positions on this ‘misery’ ranking.
Another famous tool used for the comparison of the development of countries around the world is the Human Development Index, which takes into account such factors as life expectancy at birth, literacy rate, education level, and gross national income (GNI) per capita.
Economic conditions affect life expectancy, which is much higher in the wealthiest regions. With a life expectancy of 85 years, Japan led the ranking of countries with the highest life expectancy in 2020.
On the other hand, Lesotho was the country with the lowest life expectancy, where men were expected to live 50 years as of 2022.
The Global Liveability Index ranks the quality of life in cities around the world, based on political, social, economic, and environmental aspects, such as personal safety and health, education and transport services, and other public services. In 2022, Vienna was ranked as the city with the highest quality of life worldwide.
