World Happiness Day: The quest for joy in the face of everyday struggles in Cameroon

By Synthia Lateu

Cameroon ranks 104 out of 147 countries in terms of the happiness index, standing 8th in Africa, behind South Africa, Guinea, Mozambique, Côte d’Ivoire, Congo, and Gabon, and ahead of Nigeria and Senegal, according to the World Happiness Report 2025. The report, published on March 20, 2025, coincides with World Happiness Day and is produced by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford in partnership with Gallup, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and an independent editorial board. The rankings are based on how people rate their own lives.
Understanding what happiness truly is, psychologist Professor Maurice Somo explains that while the feeling may be relative, depending on the moment and circumstances, it remains complex. “There are events that create happiness in some but lead to disappointment and anger in others. In the current Cameroonian context, we must recognize that it is difficult, given all we know about the pressures faced by youth and parents” he said.
Being happy in the country involves personal effort, and according to the psychologist, this entails how individuals act. “Everyone can try to do everything that brings them satisfaction in their life. Each time they succeed in a project, it brings them joy. Everyone keeps struggling to find happiness.” Maurice Somo stressed
Defining happiness and living in it remains a difficult equation to solve, as citizens in the country grapple with the weight of daily struggles.
According to Wilfred, a resident of Douala, the economic capital, many aspects of life in the country diminish happiness. “When you look at how expensive everything is, you cannot be happy. You can’t eat properly, you can’t receive proper health treatment; you cannot be happy,” he says.
Another resident states, “When you look at the living conditions—be it the poor state of our roads, price hikes, unemployment, corruption, or tribalism—you cannot say Cameroonians are happy. All that surrounds us here is alcohol and fish women, which makes Cameroonians feel like they are happy.”
Across the streets, many are in a constant search for happiness, struggling to divert their attention to various activities away from the problems plaguing their daily lives. Wilfred believes that going out with friends is sometimes one of the means he uses to create happiness.
According to Pierre, a Douala resident, “You can talk about personal happiness for those who have the means to survive. We would say people can create personal happiness; but for example, if I’m happy and you are not, how can I be peaceful?”