A Survey Found that Cambodia is the saddest country in Southeast Asia, isn’t it? A global analysis and consulting company, Gallup, collected the emotional status of people in 122 countries and regions through an extensive survey. In the research conducted between 2021 and early 2022, the global analytics firm recorded responses from respondents aged 15 and older.
The survey found Cambodia is the saddest country in Southeast Asia, with 42 percent of respondents reporting experiencing grief. The Philippines came in second with 35% of respondents saying they felt sad, and Vietnam came in third with 27%. In terms of pressure, 40% of Cambodians feel pressure, but they only rank third in Southeast Asia. More than 48% of the respondents in the Philippines expressed pressure, the highest proportion. In addition, the global analytics firm aggregated the results for each country and region to create the Positive Index (PEI) and Negative Experience Index (NEI).
According to Gallup, the Positive Index (PEI) score was related to respondents’ perceptions of living standards, personal freedom, and the presence of social networks, while the Negative Experience Index (NEI) results were related to people’s health problems and affordability food capacity.
Afterward, the news that “over 40% of Cambodian people feel unhappy” spread quickly and caused heated discussions among netizens. Many Chinese living in Cambodia expressed shock at this. Some netizens commented directly: “The happiness of Cambodians, I feel that we can’t catch up with the shoes of size 42.” Some people agreed with this point of view.
A person who has lived in Cambodia for a long time expressed her shock at the survey results because, in her daily life, she sees the pure Khmer smiles of Cambodian people, and the pace of life is very slow and leisurely. Walking through the streets and alleys of Cambodia on weekdays, I am often healed by locals lying leisurely in hammocks by the roadside. The unhurried attitude exuding from them often becomes a point of envy for us.
Many people doubt that Cambodians are unhappy. After all, in the eyes of Cambodian Chinese, Cambodians are very happy. They do not bear too much pressure in life, they advocate having fun promptly, and they have great flexibility in work and life is more casual. “As soon as the beer is opened, the music is played, and the dance is performed, the happiness of Cambodians will come, and it can completely infect the people around them.”
Some netizens even said that they don’t understand the happiness of Cambodians eating green mangoes, or invite Gallup people to Cambodia to eat green mangoes. Earlier, the United Nations also released the “2022 World Happiness Report”. Among the 146 countries evaluated, Cambodia ranked 114th, and among 8 Southeast Asian countries, Cambodia also ranked second from last. , only better than Myanmar (126th).
But in fact, happiness itself is a very subjective factor, and the time of the survey and the circumstances of the individual when they are surveyed will also have a great influence on the results.
During the period from 2021 to 2022, Cambodia is experiencing the impact of the epidemic. The people have experienced the impact of the epidemic, and the original order of life has been disrupted. However, the government quickly took effective measures to control the epidemic. In November 2021, Cambodia was fully opened, and now people have returned to normal life.
Sometimes happiness is just a state of mind that is difficult to assess. Sometimes there is a sudden heavy rain, and some roads in Phnom Penh instantly turn into rivers. Many people express their depression.
However, it was a rare joy for a kid. He played with his shirtless in the stagnant water, and even some children made their paper boats to go out on the water when raining. Many people may not be able to have such joy.
Nowadays, the political situation in Cambodia is stable, and local young people have enough confidence in the future for the development of the country and their individuals. They believe that there are many opportunities and hopes in the development process. In daily life, there are many people whose smiles in Cambodia can be expressed at any time.
