With the escalating crises in many countries around the world, anger and tension levels among the populations have been rising, primarily due to frustrations regarding living expenses, public transportation, workplace misunderstandings, inflation, unemployment, and the loss of basic services. Statista published the Gallup report on global emotions for 2021, which measures feelings (including anger levels) in over 100 countries, covering the second half of 2021 and the beginning of 2022.
**Top 5 Angriest Peoples**
According to the report, Lebanon ranks first on the list of the angriest peoples, followed by Turkey, Armenia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Gallup found that 49% of people in Lebanon experienced anger the day before the survey, which is the highest recorded rate anywhere in the world.
**Lebanese Crises**
Researcher Mohammed Shams El-Din from the International Information Center stated in an interview with "Sky News Arabia" that the circumstances faced by the Lebanese people certainly place them among the angriest and most frustrated populations. The national currency has lost over 95% of its value, the unemployment rate has risen to over 38%, and the inflation rate recorded was 250% over two years. Shams El-Din warned that public services in Lebanon are in a terrifying decline, with electricity supply barely reaching two hours a day, hospitals refusing patients unless they have cash and dollars, and water supply being cut off for days without reaching homes or offices.
**The Least Expressive Population**
Shams El-Din describes the Lebanese as “the angriest yet least expressive of their anger.” He attributes this to how the Lebanese handle emerging crises; when gasoline runs out, they queue in long lines at gas stations. When electricity is cut, they resort to generators and solar energy. The same applies to bread rationing; thus, Lebanese people endure and do not reject the difficult conditions that cause their frustration and anger.
**An Unenviable Situation**
Meanwhile, concerning Iraq, economist Bassam Anton noted in an interview with "Sky News Arabia" that the extremely difficult economic and political conditions, combined with unmet promises made to the people, have placed Iraq in a critical and revolutionary state, making it hard for them to trust anyone. Despite Iraq being a rich country with many resources, it suffers from crumbling infrastructure, poor services, and a lack of job opportunities, with over 25% of Iraqis facing unemployment and more than 30% living below the poverty line. All these factors render the country’s situation unenviable.
**Iraq: Lebanon's Twin**
Anton emphasizes that the Iraqi people experience issues with transportation, congestion, power outages, and a halted economic and industrial machine, as it relies on a rentier economy rather than a productive one. He pointed out that Iraq is Lebanon's twin, with many similarities in terms of unemployment and currency devaluation.
