Has it ever been a question for you that what the saddest countries in the world are? You will have the answer to this question in this article of TechTrends. We made a list of the top 10 saddest countries in the world in 2023.
As humans, we often experience different emotions, such as happiness, sadness, anger, surprise and disgust. Feeling sad, like all the other emotions, is not permanent and should not be present for a long period of time since it can lead to havoc. This feeling can arise from situations that cause disappointment or discouragement. Although feeling sad is quite normal, excessive sadness can stop productivity and advancement. Therefore, a country’s level of productivity significantly depends on the citizen’s mindset and what reaction they have to their surroundings. Despite the fact that events happening in a country can affect the emotions of people, it is the people who make up the country.
The United Nations put together research on a regular basis to see which countries are the happiest and which are the saddest. We have already made a list of the happiest countries in the world in 2023; make sure to check it out. Now, without further ado, let’s get to the list of the saddest countries in the world in 2023. This article can really be helpful for those who are tourists and are planning to travel.
Saddest Countries in the World 2023
Here we have listed the top 10 saddest countries in the world in 2023. Keep reading to find out which countries are on the list.
| S. No | Saddest Country in the World |
| 1 | Afghanistan |
| 2 | South Sudan |
| 3 | Zimbabwe |
| 4 | Rwanda |
| 5 | The Central African Republic |
| 6 | Tanzania |
| 7 | Syria |
| 8 | Botswana |
| 9 | Yemen |
| 10 | Malawi |
1. Afghanistan
According to The World Happiness Report, Afghanistan is the saddest country in the world and this claim came even before the Taliban taking over the country last year. When the 149 countries were surveyed, Afghanistan’s rank was the last one. The Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan’s capital is Kabul and it is the largest city in the country. Some consider it the heart of Asia as it is quite near all the other Asian countries. The country’s population is approximately 40.2 million, with the main ethnic groups being Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, and Uzbeks.
Notwithstanding the fact that Afghanistan has rich natural resources, including iron, gold, oil, gas, bauxite, coal copper, gypsum, ore, rare earth elements, chromium, lead, zinc, gemstones, sulphur, lithium, and marble, it is still one of the saddest countries in the world in 2023 and is ranked top of the list. This shows us that wealth is not everything and it does not equate to happiness. In addition, the war that is happening in the country has cause violence and instability and the citizens are worried as they may not be safe.
2. South Sudan
The second one on the list of the saddest countries in the world is South Sudan, which is a landlocked county. It is bordered by Kenya, Ethiopia, Central Africa Republic, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The capital of South Sudan is Juba and it has been independent since 2011. The African cultures with Christianity make up the population. However, notwithstanding their independency for the last eight years, they have not had a rich economic development journey. Underdevelopment, poverty and political crisis always bring challenges to the country.
3. Zimbabwe
The location of Zimbabwe is southern Africa and the population of the country is around 15 million. There are 16 various languages being spoken in this country, and the most common ones are English, Shona and Ndebele. Notwithstanding the tourism helping the economy of the country, deforestation and poaching have been causing a downfall for the country. The country is governed by what seems to be a dictatorship; therefore, most of the population of Zimbabwe is having a hard time and struggling. In addition to all of that, the unemployment rate is quite high and the citizens do not have the basic amenities needed for living. Therefore, it might not come as a surprise that Zimbabwe is one of the saddest countries in the world in 2023.
4. Rwanda
The fourth one on the list of the saddest countries in the world in 2023 is Rwanda, which is an African country famous for the dense population it has. The country’s annual seasons are rainy and dry. The most predominant culture group in Rwanda is the Banyarwanda. However, notwithstanding the richness of the country, they do not uphold the freedom of speech. Therefore, the media and citizens are not allowed to express themselves the way they wish to. Because of this lack of freedom, people are sad and angry. Moreover, due to the high cost of living, high unemployment rate, an unfair justice system, Rwanda is known as one of the top 10 saddest countries in the world in 2023.
5. The Central African Republic
A landlocked country in Central Africa that is also one of the saddest countries in the world in 2023, according to The World Happiness Report, is The Central African Republic. In 1960, they became independent from France and they have a population of approximately 5 million people. French and Sango are considered their official languages. Despite being ranked among the top sad countries, The CAR is rich in resources, but the conflict and instability has affected it for years. As a result, their economy has collapsed. In addition, they do not have some of the most basic services including healthcare and education. Poverty is yet another one of the problems the people of the CAR are struggling with. More than 25% of the population left the country to go live somewhere else.
6. Tanzania
Tanzania is located in East Africa and is known as one of the saddest countries in the world in 2023. The country is famous for the wildlife it has, which consists of five big ones, including lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhino. Tanzania became independent from the UK in 1961. The population of this country is about 62 million with English and Swahili being the official languages. Although there are a lot of natural resources in the country, it is among the poorest ones in the world. Tanzania has been dealing with a lot of challenges such as poverty, corruption, political unrest and lack of access to very basic amenities including healthcare and education. These factors were influential in making Tanzania one of the saddest countries in the world in 2023.
7. Syria
Syria is yet another one of the saddest countries in the world in 2023 and it is a Middle Eastern country. The country has been in a civil war since 2011. The war began with the protests against government and the latter responded with a violent crackdown. Since then, the conflict only got worse and became a full-blown war as various fractions are going against one another, trying to gain control of various parts of the country. There has been a humanitarian crisis and millions of people had to leave their country and seek refuge elsewhere. According to the United Nations, around 13 million Syrians need assistance when it comes to food, water and medical care.
Because of the on-going war, the economy of Syria has been greatly impacted and many businesses and industries got destroyed and disrupted. Roads, bridges and hospitals have been destroyed and damaged because of the conflicts and access to electricity and water is not easy in some parts of the country. Many Syrians have been enduring trauma and loss due to the war. Moreover, there has been many reports of human rights abuses, such as torture, rape and extrajudicial killings. The sectarian tensions have been exacerbated as a result of the conflict with various ethnic and religious groups being targeted for violence and discrimination.
Because of these reasons, Syria is named one of the saddest countries in the world in 2023, based on reports from the World Happiness Report.
8. Botswana
Botswana is a southern African country with its capital being Gaborone. The country’s official language is English and it is famous for the wildlife reserves, such as habitats for huge cats and elephants. Moreover, it is a great place to see meerkats and it is known for being one of the leading diamond producers in the world. Notwithstanding having natural beauty and resources, the country is among the saddest countries in the world. Many factors led to this, such as a lack of social support, inequality of income, as well as low generosity. In addition, the president of the country is known to be unhappy, which is affecting the overall sentiment of the country.
9. Yemen
This West Asian country is quite mountainous and notwithstanding the rich cultural heritage and strategic location, Yemen is still one of the poorest countries in the Arabian Peninsula, with the population being more than 29 million people. This country’s humanitarian crisis is considered one of the worst in the world as there is hunger, poverty, and disease affecting the population of people. During the last few years, Yemen has been struggling with civil war that has cause some attacks on civilians, displacement of people as well as destruction of infrastructure. People do not have access to things like food, water and healthcare, which has caused malnutrition and many diseases among the people. Moreover, the country is undergoing one of the worst cholera outbreaks in history and it has more than 2 million suspected cases and 4,000 deaths recorded since 2016.
The covid-19 pandemic has made things worst in Yemen as their already fragile healthcare system was further strained. The economy of Yemen also got affected because of the pandemic as many industries and businesses were impacted by the closures and restrictions. Therefore, the rate of unemployment went up and basic need including electricity and clean water are very rare. The challenging geography of the country, the conflict it is dealing with, humanitarian crisis and the pandemic, have made this one of the saddest countries in the world in 2023.
10. Malawi
The tenth one of the saddest countries in the world in 2023 is Malawi, which is located in southeastern Africa. The country is famous for its Lake Malawi and highlands and it is home to many beautiful cultures that make Malawi a very great tourist attraction. Notwithstanding having a rich culture, the economy is dependent on agriculture and the overpopulation, climate shocks and inequality problems affect it a great deal. Because of the low economic development, Malawi is known as one od the saddest countries in the world in 2023.
What are the Significant Reasons Behind Unhappiest Countries in the World?
The countries that have low per capita GDP, low life expectancy, lack of healthcare systems, lack of freedom, a lot of corruption are usually known as the saddest countries to live in. However, these do not always mean that the country is the worst place to be living in. For example, India has the largest democracy in the world, with an economy of more than 3.5 trillion US dollars and it is the second-most populated country. In the ranking of the happiest countries in the world, it is known to be the 144th among the 153 countries. Notwithstanding this, many Indian people, are content with living there.
Happiness is subjective and many factors can affect it. For this reason, while these rankings give us a good insight, they are not always telling the whole story.