Sub-Saharan Africa is the global epicenter of self-reported feelings of anger, worry, sadness, and physical pain, a new Gallup survey showed.
The region accounted for nine of the top 11 countries in the world with the largest share of adults reporting feeling worried: The top two were Sierra Leone and Guinea, where at least two in three adults reported feeling worried. Both countries also featured in Gallup’s top 10 countries where more than a third of resident adults felt anger.
Anger in Chad, meanwhile, reached a new high in 2024, “potentially reflecting public frustration after a deadly ammunition depot explosion in June and unrest surrounding disputed elections,” Gallup noted.
Globally, negative emotional feelings have declined from COVID-19 pandemic highs, according to the survey. However, these feelings have been “more common in countries that experience more violence and conflict,” an association that remains significant even after controlling for GDP, the survey found.
