March 28, 2024
A list of the most miserable countries in the world has been released (Brazil is on the list)

A list of the most miserable countries in the world has been released (Brazil is on the list)

Recently released the 2022 Annual Poverty Index, a report put together by economist and Johns Hopkins University professor Steve Hanke, which lists the worst countries in the world in terms of economy.

In the list of 157 countries topped by Zimbabwe, some countries that were economically stable appear in the first ranks, as is the case for Venezuela, which ranked second, and Argentina, which ranked sixth.

Both countries are governed by political groups with controversial economic ideologies. In the case of Venezuela, foreign policy specialists warn of the advent of dictatorship.

On the other hand, Brazil only appears in 27th place, while other South American neighbors are moving away from the notorious top of the list, as are Paraguay (46th), Chile (67th), Bolivia (122nd) and Ecuador. (130).]

These are the 20 most miserable countries in the world in 2022:

  1. Zimbabwe
  2. Venezuela
  3. Syria
  4. Lebanon
  5. Sudan
  6. Argentina
  7. Yemen
  8. Ukraine
  9. Cuba
  10. Türkiye
  11. Sri Lanka
  12. Haiti
  13. Angola
  14. Tonga
  15. Ghana
  16. South Africa
  17. Suriname
  18. Bosnia and Herzegovina
  19. will
  20. Rwanda

The methodology behind the report

To develop the annual poverty index, Steve Hanke and his team rely on an average of indicators such as unemployment, inflation, interest rates, and gross domestic product.

According to Steve Hanke, in the case of Zimbabwe, the top African country, the widespread misery has its roots in the country’s politics, which, according to him, are “catastrophic”.

Other members at the top of the list, such as Syria (ranked third) and Ukraine (ranked eighth), have war ravaging their lands as the main driver of misery.

“We must expect that a country mired in civil war for more than 12 years will not be happy,” he said, speaking of Syria.

However, according to Hanke, the only way to get out of this situation those countries that are considered miserable is to warm up their economies, so that the indicators improve, which raises the living conditions of the population.

The other side of the coin

On a list as dismal as the annual poverty index, being at the bottom is a huge advantage. Thus, Switzerland will be the “champion”, and it will occupy the last place in the ranking.

According to Stephen Hanke, the European country’s success is the result of its tight fiscal control, with a stable debt/GDP ratio and low interest rates for borrowing, for example.

For these reasons, the Swiss economy, which is considered small, has become strong and important over the years.

Some of the other members of the “happy” segment of the annual poverty index are Kuwait (156th), Ireland (155th), Japan (154th) and Malaysia (153rd).

The United States and China, currently the two richest countries in the world, were a little further down the list, ranking 134th and 142nd respectively.