Africa dominates the lower end of a new global ranking on the income needed to reach peak life satisfaction, with Ethiopia, Nigeria and Rwanda among the countries where people require comparatively less money before additional earnings begin to have a smaller effect on self-reported well-being.
A 2026 analysis by Remitly puts Ethiopia’s annual “price of happiness” at $10,176, the lowest among 123 countries studied, followed by Nigeria at $12,273, Rwanda at $13,566 and Mauritania at $14,732, placing several African economies firmly at the lower end of the global ranking.
The contrast with wealthier markets is substantial, with Ethiopia’s threshold about 91% lower than Canada’s $113,755, 86% below China’s $71,201 and more than 92% below the United States’ $134,827, underscoring how differently income translates into purchasing power across economies.
Remitly based the ranking on Purdue University research into “income satiation”, the point at which further increases in income stop producing meaningful gains in subjective well-being.
The figures were adjusted for inflation and local purchasing power to better reflect what money can buy across different economies.
