Zimbabwe has been ranked the third country in Africa with the best mental well-being, behind Tanzania and Nigeria.
This was revealed in the Global Mind Project’s fourth annual “Mental State of the World” report of March 2024, which Sapien Labs compiled.
Sapiens lab aggregated data from over 500 000 individuals across 71 nations.
In Africa, Tanzania has the highest score of 88 on the mental health quotient (MHQ), followed closely by Nigeria at 83, and Zimbabwe at 74.
The mental health quotient is an anonymous web-based assessment that comprehensively covers symptoms of ten major psychiatric disorders, as well as positive elements of mental function.
The report used six-dimensional scores, including mood and outlook, social self, drive, motivation, adaptability, resilience, cognition, and mind-body connection.
While mental well-being has remained stable in most countries since 2021, the rankings have remained relatively consistent. Part of the report reads:
Only five countries experienced an increase of 2 per cent or more on the mental well-being scale, while four countries saw a decrease of 2 per cent or more.
As observed each year, countries at the top of the list are predominantly Latin American and African nations like Tanzania, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and the Dominican Republic, while wealthier countries of the Core Anglosphere such as the United Kingdom and Australia rank lower.
This challenges the common perception that wealth enhances well-being.
The report comes as Zimbabwe grapples with severe economic hardships, including soaring living costs, unemployment, high inflation, and the aftermath of a disputed 2023 election.
Ironically, in 2022, Zimbabwe was ranked among the unhappiest countries globally in the annual World Happiness Report, securing a dismal 144th position out of 146.
Similarly, in the World Happiness Report released on March 20, 2023, Zimbabwe was ranked as the fourth unhappiest country in the world.
The ten happiest countries in the world
- Dominican Republic
- Sri Lanka
- Tanzania
- Panama
- Malaysia
- Nigeria
- Venezuela
- El Salvador
- Costa Rica
- Uruguay
The ten unhappiest countries in the world
- Uzbekistan
- UK
- South Africa
- Brazil
- Tajikistan
- Australia
- Egypt
- Ireland
- Iraq
- Yemen
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