Global data shows a clear relationship between income and life satisfaction, with countries that have higher GDP per capita consistently ranking among the happiest in the world. According to the World Happiness Report, countries at the top of the rankings, including Finland, Denmark and Iceland, record scores above 7, supported by higher income levels.
South Africa, by contrast, ranks 101st with a score of around 5, placing it in the lower half of the global rankings. The World Happiness Report combines well-being data from over 140 countries with high-quality analysis by world-leading researchers from a range of academic disciplines.
Happiness in South Africa
Statistics South Africa’s report Subjective Poverty in South Africa: Findings from the Income & Expenditure Survey, 2022/2023 notably found that “individuals’ reported levels of happiness are consistently associated with how they evaluate their financial circumstances.” Fewer South Africans now describe themselves as poor than they did eight years ago, but many still say their income does not cover the cost of everyday living.
Factors Affecting Happiness
The World Happiness Report’s dataset shows that countries with higher GDP per capita are generally grouped at the top of the rankings, while lower-income countries tend to rank further down. GDP per capita is one of the main factors used to explain differences in life evaluation scores. At the same time, happiness scores are based on a range of factors, including social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity and perceptions of corruption.
Some of the key factors affecting happiness in South Africa include:
- Social support
- Healthy life expectancy
- Freedom
- Generosity
- Perceptions of corruption
World Happiness Report data shows that South Africa’s position has changed over time. The country recorded its most significant improvement around 2016, when its ranking climbed compared with earlier years. More recently, the data shows a decline, with one of the steepest drops occurring in 2024.
