Africa's 'Happiest' Countries Revealed

The World Happiness Report, now in its 10th year, is based on people's own assessment of their happiness, as well as economic and social data. Researchers ranked the countries after analyzing data over three years. They looked at several categories including gross domestic product per capita, social safety nets, life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity of the population, and perceptions of internal and external corruption levels.

Mauritius ranked number one on the continent at 52 on the log. Libya ranked 86 in the world, is second in Africa. Other top 20 countries in Africa include Ivory Coast (88), Cameroon (89), Senegal (90), South Africa (91), Gambia (93), Ghana(93), Niger (94), Algeria (96), Gambia(96), Liberia (97), Benin (97), Congo (99), Morocco (100), Guinea (100), Mozambique (101), Cameroon (102), Burkina Faso (111) and Nigeria (118).

Nigeria has been ranked the 118th happiest country in the world, 2 spots lower than its position last year, indicating the country's declining perception on key indicators. 

Afghanistan ranked as the unhappiest country in the world, with Lebanon, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, and Botswana rounding out the bottom five.

For the fifth year in a row, Finland has been named the happiest country in the world, with Denmark coming in second, followed by Iceland, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.