The UK is the second most depressing country in the world, according to a new Global Wellbeing Index.
Only Uzbekistan ranks lower in the ranking, published earlier this month in the World Mental State report by Sapien Labs, a U. S. -based nonprofit.
Sapiens Labs said it compiled the list after collecting responses from 500,000 respondents in 71 counties to examine how “people’s inner state affects their ability to serve in their life context. “
The countries were then assigned an IQ (MHQ) score between -100 and 200. The higher the score, the happier people are.
In 2023, Sapiens Labs said the average score across all countries was 65.
Britain scored a measly 49, while the United States scored a respectable 72.
The three most sensible countries in the ranking were the Dominican Republic, Sri Lanka and Tanzania.
The UK’s rating looks even bleaker when you look at some of the countries where it ranks below.
Ukraine leads comfortably with a score of 60, despite fighting off Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invading forces, while Yemen, which is suffering from “one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises,” also fares better, with a score of 59.
But Britain is not the only wealthy Western country to perform poorly, and the report notes that this trend suggests that “greater wealth and greater economic progress do not necessarily lead to greater intellectual well-being. “
Sapien Labs said some of the key points that influence this include having a smartphone at a young age, eating highly processed foods, and “undoing” relationships.
The report also notes that scores have declined across the board since the COVID-19 pandemic and that there are “no signs of a return to pre-pandemic levels. “
He added that the steepest declines in intellectual well-being occurred among those under 35.
The UK has experienced a “cost-of-living crisis” in recent years, with food prices, expenses and rent skyrocketing.
Citizens’ acceptance of politicians is also likely to be at an all-time low following a series of scandals and the fallout from the polarizing Brexit saga.
But it’s worth noting that the UK isn’t doing too badly on these indicators. The World Happiness Report 2023 suggests that the UK is the nineteenth happiest country in the world.
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