Afghanistan has once again been ranked as the unhappiest country in the world in the latest World Happiness Report (2025). This ranking underscores the ongoing suffering of the Afghan people four years after the Taliban’s return to power.  

The 2025 World Happiness Report, a UN-backed study assessing well-being across 140 nations, reveals Afghanistan’s continued presence at the bottom of the rankings. The country’s happiness score has plummeted to a historic low of 1.85 out of 10. This assessment, which considers factors such as GDP per capita, social support, life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, and perceptions of corruption, paints a stark picture of daily life under Taliban rule.  

Afghanistan’s economy, already weakened by decades of war and international sanctions, has further deteriorated under the Taliban. The report indicates that 90% of the population now lives below the poverty line, with unemployment exceeding 40%. The suspension of international aid, which previously constituted 75% of public spending, and the collapse of the banking system have exacerbated food insecurity, leaving 23 million Afghans reliant on humanitarian assistance.  

Taliban restrictions on women’s rights have severely impacted social well-being. Afghanistan is now the only country where half the population is systematically excluded from public life, with women barred from secondary education and most workplaces. Female respondents reported an average happiness score of just 1.2 out of 10, reflecting widespread despair.  

“My daughters haven’t been to school in three years. We survive on one meal a day. Happiness? We are all strangers to that word,” says Samea, a mother of two who recently fled from Kabul to the outskirts of Tehran, Iran, and who asked that her last name be withheld for safety reasons.  

The country is also facing an unprecedented mental health crisis, with a reported 300% increase in cases of depression and anxiety since 2021. Limited access to healthcare, coupled with the trauma of conflict and displacement, has left an estimated 10 million people in need of psychological support.  

In contrast, Finland has been ranked the happiest country in the world for the sixth consecutive year. Other nations at the bottom of the ranking with Afghanistan include Sierra Leone (146), Lebanon (145), Malawi (144), and Zimbabwe (143).