US-based organization Gallup has found in a poll that 98% of people in Afghanistan consider themselves to be the most miserable in the world following the Taliban’s return to power.
According to Gallup Global Emotions 2023 on the negative and positive experiences, Afghanistan ranks once again as the least positive country in the world.
The report, published on Wednesday, stated: “Surveys conducted in July and August — coinciding with the one-year anniversary of the Taliban’s takeover — showed almost all Afghans (98%) rated their life so poorly that they were considered suffering. This percentage topped the previous high of 94% in 2021, measured as the Taliban seized full control.”
According to Gallup, positive daily experiences were already in limited supply before the Taliban seized control, but these emotions largely disappeared from Afghanistan in 2021 — and did not return in 2022.
“The percentage of Afghans who said they felt enjoyment, learned something interesting or felt well-rested the previous day stayed at or near record lows,” wrote the organization.
Gallup’s Positive and Negative Experience Indexes measure life’s intangibles such as feelings and emotions, which traditional economic indicators like GDP, were never intended to capture. The findings are based on more than 147,000 interviews with adults in 142 countries and areas in 2022.
Despite Gallup’s report placing Afghanistan at the bottom of this ranking, the Taliban consistently claim that living conditions have improved due to enhanced security and economic management. The group continues to reject reports from international institutions concerning the security and economic situation in the country.
