In Egypt’s comedy classic, ‘Asal Eswed (Bittersweet, 2010), there is a scene in which Masry, the film’s protagonist and an Egyptian normally residing abroad, goes on to lambast Egyptians for seeming happy despite the struggles he constantly sees around him during the events of the film. “Here in Egypt, we have the concept of alhamdulillah (thank God),” responds Masry’s neighbor, ‘Am (Uncle) Helal, summing up the common stereotype that Egyptians are a happy bunch no matter the difficulties they face. Since 2012, The United Nations (UN) has been publishing the World Happiness Report annually. After passing a resolution in July 2011, the UN invited member states to measure the happiness of their citizens every year as a tool for better policy-making. Egypt has consistently participated in this report, and with a decade worth of analysis, there is now ample data to see a downward trend in Egypt’s happiness. How does the UN measure happiness? Measuring happiness is a tricky task to tackle, but the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UNSDSN) utilizes a measurement system known as the Cantril ladder, which is a single-question survey conducted by Gallup World, a world-renowned…
