Kuwaitis are the happiest Arab people

Kuwaitis have been ranked the second happiest populace in the world, according to the latest results of an annual index.

The rankings of the Annual Misery Index, compiled by Steve Hanke, professor of applied economics at Johns Hopkins University, put the Gulf country ahead of the likes of Ireland, Japan and Thailand in the ranking for “happiest countries.”

Switzerland topped the list, while Muslim-majority Malaysia came in fifth spot.

The Hanke annual Misery Index sums up unemployment, inflation and bank lending rates minus the change in the real per capita GDP. In his annual index, Hanke attributed the main reason for the happiness of Kuwaitis to low unemployment rates, which is the same factor for the happiness of the Swiss.

According to the index, Kuwait, despite the country’s political differences, achieved a strong performance in all fields in 2022. Based on Hanke’s calculations, the negatives were minimal, while the good indicators were strong (annual real GDP growth reached 4.5 percent). Thanks to the strong economic performance, Switzerland, Kuwait, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, Niger, Thailand, Togo and Malta occupied the top ten positions as the happiest countries in the world in 2022.

In contrast, Zimbabwe, Venezuela, Syria, Lebanon, Sudan, Argentina, Yemen, Ukraine, Cuba, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Haiti, Angola, Tonga and Ghana were the 15 most miserable countries in the world. The idea of the Misery Index was originated by the well-known economist Arthur Okun, who served as Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers during the Johnson administration and developed the original Misery Index for the United States.