Nigeria And The Happiness Ranking

Nigerians are becoming  increasingly unhappy with their lot, according to a recent research findings.

The country has been ranked 106th out of 147 countries in the 2026 World Happiness Report – a position that continues a downward trend. Nigeria was ranked 105th in 2025 and 102nd in 2024. This downward slide becomes clearer when viewed over a longer period. In 2023, it was 95th; in 2021, it dropped to 118th; in 2018, Nigeria was 85th; and in 2015, it was the 78th happiest nation in the world. It was also recognised as the fourth happiest country in Africa that year, trailing behind Libya, Algeria and Mauritius.

The report is produced annually by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), and the ranking is based on factors including Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, healthy life expectancy, social support, trust (absence of corruption), freedom to make life decisions, and generosity.

Nigeria performed even better much earlier. In 2003, it was ranked as the country with the happiest people in the world, according to the World Values Survey. The study, conducted over three years, saw Nigeria top the list, ahead of over 65 other countries. It was a surprising verdict for a country whose citizens were already grappling with poverty, fragile institutions and disillusionment with a newly restored democratic system. However, there was strong communal life, infectious optimism, and a shared belief in a better future once the country got its bearings right.

But after two decades, that resilient optimism has gradually given way to an ominous fear that the country is heading in the wrong direction and that the present crop of leaders is not interested in arresting the drift.

It is not too difficult to identify what has taken the country from the top to the rear. The answer lies not in a single failing but in the slow erosion of the pillars that sustain human well-being. Happiness is built on income, social support, health, freedom and trust in institutions. On each of these counts, Nigeria has steadily retrogressed.

First is the economy—once buoyed by oil wealth but now weighed down by corruption, volatility, policy inconsistencies and gross mismanagement. Inflation has relentlessly eroded purchasing power, turning basic necessities into luxuries. Food prices have soared and wages have stagnated, while unemployment and underemployment, especially among the youth, have remained stubbornly high. For millions, survival has replaced aspiration.

The inability to afford basic necessities such as food and healthcare has directly diminished satisfaction levels. Access to potable water, electricity, healthcare and quality education—basic requirements for a dignified life—has become increasingly uncertain. All this indicates the depth of poverty in the country. In 2022, Nigeria replaced India as the poverty capital of the world, with the highest number of people living below the poverty line—about 133 million out of a population of 200 million (63 per cent), according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Since then, persistent inflation has only worsened the situation. In 2026, about 62–63 per cent of Nigerians, or roughly 141 million people, fall within the poor bracket.

Poor public governance has left Nigeria at, or near, the bottom of nearly every index of human development. A Save the Children report places Nigeria among the worst countries to be a mother or a child, with very high maternal and infant mortality rates, while the Economist Intelligence Unit ranks Nigeria as one of the worst places to be born. These are sobering indicators of declining governance quality that do little to inspire hope among citizens.

Another factor in the decline in Nigerians’ happiness is insecurity. From insurgency in the North-East to banditry, kidnappings and communal conflicts across other regions, many Nigerians now live in constant fear. Nigeria ranked fourth globally in the most recent Global Terrorism Index, with attacks rising by about 43 per cent in 2025—one of the sharpest increases in terrorism-related deaths worldwide.

When citizens can no longer move about safely, farm, or sleep peacefully, they are unlikely to feel any sense of happiness—especially when the problem appears increasingly intractable. A population of about four million internally displaced persons living in makeshift camps can hardly inspire hope. Worse still, the government appears unable to bring the crisis to an end.

Similarly, the quality of governance has remained low and continues to decline. Corruption, misplaced priorities, weak institutions and a persistent disconnect between leaders and citizens have deepened public distrust. This erosion of trust—captured in global indices as “perception of corruption”—is a critical driver of unhappiness. In the latest ranking (2025 Corruption Perceptions Index, released in 2026), Nigeria was placed 142nd out of 182 countries, scoring just 26 out of 100.

From these factors, the absence of hope for reversal has reinforced the “japa” phenomenon, in which skilled professionals are emigrating in large numbers, with serious consequences for the nation’s health and other critical sectors. When a country’s brightest minds see their future elsewhere, it signals a deeper crisis of confidence.

As a newspaper, we urge Nigerians not to succumb to this seeming hopelessness. The same country that was once adjudged the happiest still retains the raw ingredients for recovery—youthful energy, cultural vibrancy and vast natural resources. What is required is the right political leadership to galvanise the people through deliberate and sustained reform.

Such leadership must prioritise transparency and accountability in all endeavours. It must articulate policies that tame inflation, create jobs and support small businesses, thereby restoring purchasing power and the dignity of the populace.

Equally critical is investment in social services. Reliable electricity, accessible healthcare, quality education and social safety nets must be treated as essential prerequisites for human well-being. Countries that rank high on happiness consistently invest in these foundations.

In 2003, Nigeria’s happiness was not based on wealth but on hope. Today, that hope has been battered, but not extinguished. The Tinubu administration must translate its “Renewed Hope” slogan into a lived reality