Gallup Survey: Sierra Leone Leads Global Worry Index

Gallup Survey: Sierra Leone Leads Global Worry Index

A new Gallup survey reveals that Sierra Leone has the highest proportion of adults experiencing daily worry worldwide. The report indicates that 67 percent of adults in Sierra Leone reported feeling worried for most of the previous day, placing the nation at the top of a global list that includes Guinea, Malta, Rwanda, Chad, Burkina Faso, and Mozambique.

The comprehensive survey, based on over 145,000 interviews across 144 countries and regions, measures emotions such as worry, anger, sadness, stress, and physical pain.

In the broader Sub-Saharan Africa region, levels of worry, anger, sadness, and physical pain are among the highest globally. Sierra Leone and Guinea are highlighted among nine countries in the region where at least two out of every three adults reported feeling worried. These two nations also rank among the top ten globally for adults reporting anger, with over a third experiencing this emotion.

Globally, Gallup's 2024 data shows that 39 percent of adults reported significant worry the previous day, followed by stress (37 percent), physical pain (32 percent), sadness (26 percent), and anger (22 percent). These figures represent an increase compared to a decade ago.

Despite these findings, the report also notes consistently high levels of respect worldwide, with 88 percent of adults reporting feeling treated with respect. Other positive emotions like laughter, enjoyment, and feeling well-rested remained close to long-term averages.

The Gallup report establishes a correlation between emotional health and peace, indicating that sadness, worry, and anger are more prevalent in countries with lower rankings on other Global Indexes.