Misery Index: BC ranked Canada's fourth least happy province
If you’ve been feeling a little unhappy lately, you’re not alone.
According to a new Provincial COVID-19 Misery Index from the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, British Columbia ranks as one of Canada’s most miserable provinces.
The index considers pandemic-related factors such as slow or poor response from government, lost jobs, and the spread of sickness and death from the virus itself.
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Divided into three main categories, the index captures “disease misery,” “response misery,” and “economic misery” impacts in each province by measuring 11 key metrics.
Metrics also include cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 population, the number of deaths related to the virus, the number of people receiving a vaccination, restrictive public health measures, and changes in unemployment, among others.
“Not surprisingly, the misery from COVID-19 has hit hardest in the provinces that have experienced the highest incidence rates of the virus,” reads the report.
Macdonald-Laurier Institute
BC ranked as the fourth most miserable province, earning a “C+” score, while Ontario and Quebec came in second and third for unhappiness, respectively.
As for the most miserable province in the country, that designation goes to Alberta — the province earned a “D” score.
The Maritime provinces fared the best, and Prince Edward Island was rated least miserable with an “A+” score, followed by Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
Macdonald-Laurier Institute
BC’s scores were spread evenly between economic misery (31.3%), disease misery (34.06%), and response misery (34.64%). High scores were received in unemployment change over 2020, as well as excess mortality.
At a national level, Canada ranked as the fifth most miserable out of 15 countries around the world, while the US came in seventh for unhappiness.
Macdonald-Laurier Institute
Spain scored the highest in the global rankings, earning the title of the least happy country on the COVID-19 Misery Index.