Sierra Leone has now taken an unenviable position. It ranks as the saddest country in Africa and one of the least happy places in the world.
According to the 2025 World Happiness Report, Sierra Leone placed 146th globally out of 147 countries, with a happiness score of 2.998. Only one country ranked lower worldwide. Within Africa, this places Sierra Leone firmly at the bottom. Malawi followed at 144th with a score of 3.260, while Zimbabwe ranked 143rd with 3.396.
Happiness is something people naturally seek, yet not every country provides the conditions that allow it to grow. The World Happiness Report offers a yearly snapshot of how people experience their lives, measuring factors such as income, health, social support, freedom, and trust in institutions. For some nations, these elements align. For others, they remain painfully out of reach.
At the top of the global rankings, the same countries appear year after year. Finland has been named the happiest country in the world for the eighth consecutive time, joined closely by Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, and Norway. These societies are characterized by functional public administrations, social trust, functional healthcare, and stable economies.
At the other extreme are those countries whose lives are influenced by uncertainty. As stated in the latest report, amongst the least happy countries, an abundance of African countries feature, and these countries continue to face long-standing challenges that heavily impact the happiness levels of the citizens. These challenges range from economic suffering, poor health services, instability in the government, poor public services, to poor education.
There are some bright spots in the African picture. Mauritius turns out to be the happiest African nation and ranks 78th in the world with a rating of 5.832. Libya appears in the 79th position, and Algeria in the 84th. These are countries which have managed to register progress in the area of societal advancements in addition to the challenges which they are facing.
Other places, though, are beset by struggles. For instance, Nigeria, which is the most populous nation on the continent of Africa, placed 105th out of 147 due to pressures concerning cost of living, safety, and development.
The case of Sierra Leone is especially worrisome because its ranking translates to more than just numbers. Any rating below three is an indication of a deep-seated dissatisfaction with life. It is an indication of a population that feels neither supported nor secured economically or has hope for the future. Happiness is halted, not because of a lack of drive and resilience, but by systems that cannot promote stability and hope.
Being adjudged the least happiest nation in Africa is no badge to be treated lightly. Rather, it is a warning call on all who matter to look inward, to reflect on issues of governance, trust, inclusivity, and the reality of people’s experiences.
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Happiness will never be mandated by the government, but the conditions that will bring happiness can be established. Until that happens, the positioning of a country like Sierra Leone at the bottom of the happiness ladder will continue to be a reflection of the struggles that the nation is experiencing.
