Survey finds poor Kenyans are happier than rich

World
Europe

By CGTN's Oliver Jarvis

A survey has found that the poorest people in Kenya are living happier lives than the richest.

Conducted by Twaweza East Africa, the Sauti ya Wananchi survey on citizen values found that 73 percent of Kenya’s poorest are happy, whilst 72 percent of Kenya’s richest said they were also happy.

Overall, seven in 10 citizens (71 percent) say that all things considered, they are happy with their lives in Kenya. Whereas one in 20 (5 percent) said they are unhappy, and one in four (24 percent) said that they are neither happy nor unhappy.

VCG Photo‍

The survey also returned other interesting results, showing that one in six Kenyans (16.7 percent) thinks it is justifiable for a man to beat his wife, and that nine in 10 citizens have a problem with homosexuals and would mind if they lived next to them.

Further results showed that 11 percent of women do not have a problem with being hit by their husbands, saying that it is justifiable – according to Standard Media.

The survey also found that 87 percent of Kenyans would have an issue with living next to drug addicts, and 70 percent would not be happy living next to people who consume large amounts of alcohol.

VCG Photo

UNICEF states that of Kenya’s population of 44 million, 42 percent live below the poverty line. Many basics such as healthcare, education, clean water and sanitation are often considered luxuries for many people.

There are an estimated 19.15 million children in Kenya, and the under-five mortality rate is 74/1000 live births.

Much has been discussed by experts over the years on why richer populations are often not satisfied and unhappy. According to The Atlantic, “money has contributed to deep anxieties involving love, work, and family. Indeed, they [the rich] are frequently dissatisfied even with their sizable fortunes.”

The report has not yet disclosed how it categorized those as the poorest or richest.