5 African nations with the most miserable people

Every year, Steve Hanke, an American Professor of Applied Economics at the John Hopkins University in the United States and Forbes contributor releases his annual Misery Index.

In order to figure out the most miserable countries, he looks at unemployment, inflation and bank lending rates across the world.

The places that score high on these economic indices are considered sad and miserable. As Hanke puts it, "A higher Misery Index score reflects a higher level of "misery".

The latest Misery Index ranking features 95 countries including five nations from Africa.

Here are the five African nations with the most miserable people:

Nigeria

Misery Index: 43.0

Major Contributing Factor: High unemployment rate

According to this report, Nigeria is the most miserable country in Africa and the 6th in the world.

Nigeria is the most miserable place in Africa, according to the latest Misery Index (Forbes) Pulse Nigeria

South Africa

Misery Index: 42.0

Major Contributing Factor: High unemployment rate

ALSO READ: Here are the 15 most unhealthy countries in Africa

Egypt

Misery Index: 36.8

Major Contributing Factor: Unemployment rate

An unemployed man ece-auto-gen

Algeria

Misery Index: 21.9

Major Contributing Factor: Unemployment rate

Mauritius

Misery Index: 17.9

Major Contributing Factor: Lending rate

Workers process tuna at the Thon des Mascareignes factory in Mauritius' capital Port Louis in a file photo. REUTERS/Ed Harris Reuters

On the other hand, the 7th World Happiness Report by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network ranks Mauritius as the happiest nation in Africa followed by Nigeria and Cameroon.

The misery index was originally created by a member of the Council of Economic Advisers to U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson called Arthur Okun. He invented it in the 1970s while working at the Brookings Institution.