Most miserable countries in the world; India ranks 21

Image: A young girl with her mother attend a religious mass at a local chapel following a super typhoon.
Photographs: Dondi Tawatao/Getty Images

High inflation, unemployment, high interest rates and falling GDP per capita are wrecking havoc in economies across the world.

Venezuela is the world’s most miserable nation, according to a study by the Cato Institute.

The Misery Index has been compiled with inflation, lending rates, and unemployment rates minus year-on-year per capita GDP growth.

Take a look at the world’s 30 most miserable nations…

Tags: GDP , Cato Institute , Venezuela , India

Most miserable countries in the world; India ranks 21

Image: Local boys sell traditional souvenirs in the Star Wars movie set in the Ong Jmal, in Nefta, southern Tunisia.
Photographs: Zoubeir Souissi/Reuters

Tunisia

Rank: 30

Misery Index Score: 21.5

Major contributing factor: Unemployment

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Tags: India , Tunisia

Most miserable countries in the world; India ranks 21

Image: Balinese Hindu worshipers walk during the Tawur Agung ritual ahead of "Nyepi", Bali's Day of Silence and the Hindu New Year, at Prambanan temple in Yogyakarta.
Photographs: Dwi Oblo/Reuters

Indonesia

Rank: 29

Misery Index Score: 21.6

Major contributing factor: Interest Rate

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Tags: Indonesia , India

Most miserable countries in the world; India ranks 21

Image: A barefooted boy carries a sack for recyclable materials as he walks past the British era Empress Market building in Karachi.
Photographs: Akhtar Soomro/Reuters

Pakistan

Rank: 28

Misery Index Score: 21.9

Major contributing factor: Interest Rate

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Tags: India , Pakistan

Most miserable countries in the world; India ranks 21

Image: Boats are moored in a bay of St. Michael.
Photographs: Scott Gries/Getty Images

Barbados

Rank: 27

Misery Index Score: 22.9

Major contributing factor: Unemployment

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Tags: India , Barbados

Most miserable countries in the world; India ranks 21

Image: Vilamoura's Marine at night.
Photographs: Ricard12/Wikimedia Commons

Portugal

Rank: 26

Misery Index Score: 23.5

Major contributing factor: Unemployment

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Tags: Portugal , India

Most miserable countries in the world; India ranks 21

Image: A man drives his 1935 Ford A through the streets of the luxurious seaside resort of Punta del Este.
Photographs: Andres Stapff/Reuters

Uruguay

Rank: 25

Misery Index Score: 23.8

Major contributing factor: Interest Rate

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Tags: Uruguay , India

Most miserable countries in the world; India ranks 21

Image: A general view of Machu Picchu ruins.
Photographs: Mariana Bazo/Reuters

Peru

Rank: 24

Misery Index Score: 23.9

Major contributing factor: Interest Rate

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Tags: Peru , India

Most miserable countries in the world; India ranks 21

Image: Traffic flows past Blagoveshenskiy cathedral in central Kharkiv September.
Photographs: Gleb Garanich/Reuters

Ukraine

Rank: 23

Misery Index Score: 24.4

Major contributing factor: Interest Rate

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Tags: Ukraine , India

Most miserable countries in the world; India ranks 21

Image: General view of the downtown area of the Jordanian capital near the Grand Husseini mosque in Amman.
Photographs: Muhammad Hamed/Reuters

Jordan

Rank: 22

Misery Index Score: 25.3

Major contributing factor: Unemployment

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Tags: Jordan , India

Most miserable countries in the world; India ranks 21

Image: Rukmini Vijay Kumar, Indian classical dancer of Bharatnatyam, poses against the backdrop of the renowned Khajuraho temple.
Photographs: Raj Patidar/Reuters

India

Rank: 21

Misery Index Score: 25.6

Major contributing factor: Interest Rate

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Tags: India

Most miserable countries in the world; India ranks 21

Image: People walk past a cow sculpture on display in front of the National Theater during a Cow Parade art festival in San Jose.
Photographs: Juan Carlos Ulate/Reuters

Costa Rica

Rank: 20

Misery Index Score: 25.6

Major contributing factor: Interest Rate

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Tags: Costa Rica , India

Most miserable countries in the world; India ranks 21

Image: A woman and a man walk past a giant Honduran flag in Tegucigalpa.
Photographs: Jorge Cabrera/Reuters

Honduras

Rank: 19

Misery Index Score: 26.8

Major contributing factor: Interest Rate

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Tags: Honduras , India

Most miserable countries in the world; India ranks 21

Image: A masked man takes part in a Good Friday procession during Holy Week celebrations in Masatepe.
Photographs: Oswaldo Rivas/Reuters

Nicaragua

Rank: 18

Misery Index Score: 27.0

Major contributing factor: Interest Rate

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Tags: India , Nicaragua

Most miserable countries in the world; India ranks 21

Photographs: Jason Rosenberg/Wikimedia Commons

Georgia

Rank: 17

Misery Index Score: 27.7

Major contributing factor: Unemployment

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Tags: Georgia , India

Most miserable countries in the world; India ranks 21

Image: Santo Domingo skyline.
Photographs: Ronny Medina/Wikimedia Commons

Domincan Republic

Rank: 16

Misery Index Score: 28.9

Major contributing factor: Unemployment

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Tags: Domincan Republic , India

Most miserable countries in the world; India ranks 21

Image: A view shows Croatia's UNESCO protected medieval town of Dubrovnik.
Photographs: Antonio Bronic/Reuters

Croatia

Rank: 15

Misery Index Score: 30.5

Major contributing factor: Unemployment

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Tags: Croatia , India

Most miserable countries in the world; India ranks 21

Image: Larnaca city.
Photographs: Valantis Antoniades/Wikimedia Commons

Cyprus

Rank: 14

Misery Index Score: 30.7

Major contributing factor: Unemployment

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Tags: Cyprus , India

Most miserable countries in the world; India ranks 21

Image: A ferryboat moves along the Bosphorus and past the city's skyscrapers (rear) in Istanbul.
Photographs: Murad Sezer/Reuters

Turkey

Rank: 13

Misery Index Score: 32.7

Major contributing factor: Interest Rate

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Tags: Turkey , India

Most miserable countries in the world; India ranks 21

Image: Palestinian girls look at an Israeli soldier while waiting for permission to get into the Ibraheemi mosque in the West Bank city of Hebron.
Photographs: Nayef Hashlamoun/Reuters

Palestinan Territory

Rank: 12

Misery Index Score: 32.9

Major contributing factor: Unemployment

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Tags: Palestinan Territory , India

Most miserable countries in the world; India ranks 21

Photographs: Ognen Teofilovski/Reuters

Macedonia

Rank: 11

Misery Index Score: 35.7

Major contributing factor: Unemployment

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Tags: India , Macedonia

Most miserable countries in the world; India ranks 21

Image: People walk past a political billboard with the phrase "The euro sinks".
Photographs: Jose Manuel Ribeiro/Reuters

Greece

Rank: 10

Misery Index Score: 36.4

Major contributing factor: Unemployment

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Tags: Greece , India

Most miserable countries in the world; India ranks 21

Image: A general view shows the Sao Bento Monastery (R) between skyscrapers at downtown Sao Paulo.
Photographs: Nacho Doce/Reuters

Brazil

Rank: 9

Misery Index Score: 37.3

Major contributing factor: Interest rate

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Tags: Brazil , India

Most miserable countries in the world; India ranks 21

Photographs: Omar Faruk/Reuters

South Africa

Rank: 8

Misery Index Score: 37.4

Major contributing factor: Unemployment

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Tags: South Africa , India

Most miserable countries in the world; India ranks 21

Image: People wait in line to receive food during daily food distribution on Christmas eve.
Photographs: Jon Nazca/Reuters

Spain

Rank: 7

Misery Index Score: 37.6

Major contributing factor: Unemployment

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Tags: Spain , India

Most miserable countries in the world; India ranks 21

Image: A woman walks near tombs in front of her home.
Photographs: Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters

Egypt

Rank: 6

Misery Index Score: 38.1

Major contributing factor: Unemployment

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Tags: Egypt , India

Most miserable countries in the world; India ranks 21

Image: Soldiers patrol a street with foreign journalists escorted into the area as a little girl watches from her doorstep.
Photographs: Hans Deryk/Reuters

Jamaica

Rank: 5

Misery Index Score: 42.3

Major contributing factor: Interest Rate

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Tags: Jamaica , India