Inside the world's unhappiest country

Thomson ReutersA man speaks with soldiers during a protest against Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza and his bid for a third term in Bujumbura

The world's unhappiest country is not war ravaged Syria, nor is it Afghanistan, which is locked in an escalating battle with a resurgent Taliban.

Instead, the world's unhappiest nation is the tiny landlocked nation of Burundi in sub-Saharan Africa.

Although home to only 10.3 million people, the nation was judged to have the least happiest people by the fourth annual World Happiness Report by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

The report measures a nation's happiness on six factors - per capita gross domestic product, social support, years of life expectancy in good health, freedom to make life decisions, perceptions of corruption in government and business, and generosity marked by resident's charitable donations.

According to these standards, Burundi comes in almost dead last across the board leading to its placement as the least happy nation. Burundi's general unhappiness has only be exacerbated by unrest over the past year.

In 2015, President Pierre Nkurunziza announced that he would seek a third term as president counter to the country's constitution. His decision has sparked ongoing unrest that has led to the deaths of 400 people and at least 230,000 refugees having fled the country.