Bulgaria Among Unhappiest Nations in the World - Gallup Poll

Bulgarians appear to be some of the most unhappy people in the world, according to a recent Gallup poll. Photo by EPA/BGNES

Bulgaria ranks 137 out of 155 countries in a recent Gallup poll, which identified the happiest nations in the world.

The top five countries, which are some of the richest in the world, are all Scandinavian while the bottom 20 are all African except four; Tajikistan, Bulgaria, Haiti and Cambodia.

The study proves that money, in fact, plays a significant role in the overall happiness of people. Based on this point, it is clear why Bulgaria, the poorest country in the EU, is ranked so low in this category.

"Money is an object that many or most people desire, and pursue during the majority of their waking hours," researchers wrote in the report. "It would be surprising if success at this pursuit had no influence whatsoever when people were asked to evaluate their lives."

However, the study showed that income played an important role only for “a particular kind of well-being--the kind one feels when reflecting on his or her own successes and prospects for the future. Day-to-day happiness is more likely to be associated with how well one's psychological and social needs are being met, and that's harder to achieve with a paycheck,'' wrote Forbes Magazine.

Costa Rica is ranked sixth, but it is not a particularly wealth nation, according to the poll. People in Costa Rica seem to put more value on and maintain more stable relationships with friends, which is a key to their daily happiness, the report explains.

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