In the latest annual Misery Index, Tunisia is one of the countries most affected by economic hardship.
Hampered by an alarmingly high unemployment rate, Tunisia is ranked 43rd out of 157 countries, making it one of the most miserable countries in the world with an index score of 46.905. Data from the index show that unemployment plays a major role in Tunisia’s score.
At the continental level, Tunisia also ranks 19th among the poorest countries in Africa, while its economy is among the ten poorest in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
The methodology used to compile the index was developed by Steve Hanke, Professor of Applied Economics at Johns Hopkins University. It takes into account the unemployment rate (multiplied by two), inflation, bank lending rates and the annual percentage change in real GDP per capita.
In the MENA region, the ranking of the most vulnerable economies shows that Syria is in 3rd place, suffering the full brunt of poverty with a score of 225.4. Lebanon ranks 4th, followed by Yemen in 7th place.
The Iranian economy is ranked 19th, making it the fourth most disadvantaged economy in the region. Libya’s economy ranks 30th, closely followed by Jordan’s in 31st place.
Algeria, ranked 41st, is the seventh most disadvantaged economy in the MENA region, with an even worse economic situation than Tunisia. Mauritania (44th) and Iraq (50th) complete the top 10 most vulnerable economies in the MENA region.
On the African continent, Zimbabwe is considered the most miserable country in the world, with a score of 414.7, according to the annual misery index, which mainly assesses the economic conditions of nations.
Sudan is the second most miserable country on the African continent, worse than Angola (13th) and Ghana (15th).
South Africa, an emerging economy and member of the BRICS, ranks 16th among the miserable countries on the continent.
Rwanda (20th), Botswana (21st) and Madagascar (22nd) are close behind. Finally, Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland) rounds off the top 10 miserable economies in Africa in 24th place.
Ukraine ranks 8th in this index. Poland ranks 74th, while the United Kingdom is 129th and the United States 134th. Switzerland, on the other hand, is considered to be the least miserable.
It is important to note that other more widely used economic indices, such as the Multidimensional Poverty Index or the Human Development Index, are often preferred to assess poverty and economic deprivation on a global scale.
