Which country is the most depressed in the world?

Based on GEI real-time data, countries experiencing prolonged conflict, economic hardship, or political instability — including parts of the Middle East, South Asia, and some sub-Saharan African nations — consistently report the highest rates of sadness, hopelessness, and loneliness. Rankings change continuously; visit our live Country Rankings for current data.

How does GEI measure depression by country?

GEI does not measure clinical depression. It tracks the proportion of submissions classified as low-energy negative emotions: Sadness, Hopelessness, Loneliness, and Boredom. Countries with higher shares of these submissions receive lower Emotional Index scores. This is a directional signal for emotional wellbeing, not a clinical measurement.

Is a high depression ranking the same as low happiness?

Related but distinct. The depression ranking focuses specifically on low-energy negative emotions (Sadness, Hopelessness, Loneliness). The happiness ranking looks at positive emotions. A country can have moderate happiness AND elevated depression simultaneously — for example, high Joy on weekends but persistent Loneliness on weeknights.

How should I interpret these depression rankings?

These rankings reflect voluntary self-reported emotional states, not clinical diagnoses. They are influenced by platform usage rates, internet access, cultural expression norms, and sample sizes. Always check the confidence level indicator — low-confidence countries have too few submissions for reliable rankings.

Depression Index Negative Emotions 2026 Live Data

Most Depressed Countries in the World 2026

Updated: May 2026 Source: Global Emotions Index 190+ countries tracked

The Global Emotions Index tracks sadness, hopelessness, and loneliness in real time across 190+ countries. This page identifies nations where negative, low-energy emotions dominate self-reports — offering a continuous, open-data signal of where emotional wellbeing is most strained in 2026.

Clinical disclaimer: GEI does not diagnose clinical depression. These rankings reflect voluntary self-reports of emotions, not medical assessments. A high ranking indicates more sadness/hopelessness submissions relative to other countries — not a diagnosed depression rate.

How GEI Identifies "Most Depressed" Countries

The depression profile in GEI data consists of four low-arousal negative emotions:

Sadness — sorrow, grief, low mood
Hopelessness — persistent negative expectation about the future
Loneliness — felt isolation and disconnection
Boredom — disengagement and lack of meaning

For each country, GEI calculates the share of these four emotions as a percentage of all submissions in a 30-day rolling window. Countries with the highest proportion of low-energy negative emotions rank highest on this list.

4Depressive emotions tracked

30Day rolling window

5 minRefresh rate

BayesianStatistical smoothing

Regional Patterns in 2026

Middle East & N. Africa (Conflict Zones)
Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan
Highest Negative
South Asia
Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal
High Negative
Sub-Saharan Africa (Fragile States)
Chad, Central African Republic, DRC, Somalia
High Negative
Eastern Europe
Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus
Elevated Negative
Western Europe (Loneliness Pattern)
UK, Scandinavia — loneliness specifically elevated
Moderate — Loneliness Notable
Latin America
Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Brazil
Lower Negative Rate

Why These Rankings Should Be Read Carefully

Sampling Bias

Only internet users who visit GEI and submit their emotion are counted. In many high-negative countries, internet access is limited — the most affected populations may be under-represented.

Cultural Expression Norms

Some cultures have stronger norms against expressing negative emotions publicly. Rankings reflect reporting culture as well as felt emotion.

Small Sample Sizes

Countries with fewer submissions have lower confidence. GEI's Bayesian smoothing mitigates this, but always check the Confidence Level indicator on the Rankings page.

For authoritative mental health data, refer to WHO mental health reports and peer-reviewed research. GEI is a complementary signal, not a clinical database.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which country is most depressed in 2026?

Based on GEI data, countries in conflict zones and severe economic stress — parts of the Middle East, South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa — consistently report highest sadness and hopelessness rates. See live rankings sorted by Emotional Index (ascending) for current data.

Is this a ranking of clinical depression rates?

No. This ranking reflects the proportion of voluntary emotional self-reports in low-energy negative categories. For clinical data, refer to WHO mental health statistics and peer-reviewed research.

How does GEI compare to Gallup's negative emotions data?

Gallup's annual poll asks about sadness and worry "a lot of the day yesterday" — one binary question, once annually. GEI tracks four distinct depressive emotions continuously, updated every 5 minutes. Gallup provides representative annual snapshots; GEI provides continuous real-time signals.

Can I download this data?

Yes. All GEI data is open under CC-BY-4.0. Cite as: Global Emotions Index (2026). globalemotionsindex.com.

Explore Live Country Rankings

Which countries have the lowest emotional scores right now? Rankings refresh every 5 minutes.

Open Country Rankings Happiest Countries Most Stressed Countries