Happiness

The country’s GNI per capita, which reflects the average income of its citizens is $1080. This is well below the average income of the rest of Europe and Central Asia, and even below the lower middle income of this region. Low yearly income does play a role in the county’s happiness, according to the 2016 World Happiness Report. The country ranks 106th out of 158 countries. It scores a 4.786 out of 10 on a happiness scale which puts Switzerland first with a score of 7.578 and Togo last with a score of 2.839.

 

In 2016, Tajikistan scored a 0.607 on the United Nations Development Programme's Human Development Index (HDI) scale, positioning it at 133th out of 188 countries. As can be seen in the chart from 2015, the country's HDI dropped dramatically during the civil war of the 1990s and has since been making steady progress in the areas measured by HDI: length and health of life, access to knowledge and standard of living.

Health

In the years following independence, Tajikistan’s population experienced a huge deterioration in health. The rise of disease and decreased access to health services along with widespread poverty made it difficult for those who got sick to get well. The civil war also had devastating effects on healthcare; government health spending decreased from 6% of the national GDP in 1991 to 1.1% of GDP in 1996. Since then, spending has increased to 6.8% of GDP and international aid has helped improve health services. But, as of 2014, 32% of the population still lived below the poverty line, preventing many people from receiving adequate health care.

 

In recent years, health issues include infant and maternal mortality, malnutrition, circulatory diseases and other diseases like tuberculosis. The average life expectancy is 69 years, but due to many unreported cases of infant and under 5 mortality, this number may be skewed. (Reported cases of under 5 mortality total 58 per 1000 live births.) As of 2012, 72% of the population had access to clean water and 92% had access to sanitation. Though the quality and accessibility of health care has not returned to that of the Soviet Union, Tajikistan has achieved better health outcomes than some of the other post-Soviet states.

 

According to the independent news source Asia-Plus, media is being used to improve health conditions in Tajikistan. In March of 2016, the US government ran training programs for journalists about reporting on Tuberculosis. The program helped journalists develop accurate messages about the disease, including diagnosis and treatment in an attempt to increase the general public’s knowledge about the disease. Along with print media, Tajiks are using technology to improve their health condition. Reports show that many are accessing health advice via their mobile phone.

 

Along with Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS is a threat to the health of Tajiks. Most students do not get proper sexual education, and therefore don't know the ways HIV is spread and the ways in which it can be prevented. For example, only 5% of 15 to 24-year-old women know that condoms can prevent infection. Also playing a huge role in the spread of HIV/AIDS is the growing rate of drug use in the country. The large border Tajikistan shares with Afghanistan is a major drug transit route to Russia, resulting in the rise of drug users in Tajikistan. And most don't know enough not to share needles.

 

Food

Tajik food is generally pretty plain. Often, meals consist of rice, vegetables, dried fruit, nuts, flatbread, meat and green tea. Even such simple meals are sometimes hard for families to put on the table. As mentioned above, malnutrition is an issue for much of the population - especially for those with lower incomes. This problem was exacerbated in 2011 when the price of food rose by up to 30% in response to the increase in tax on oil exported to Tajikistan from Russia. Even Tajiks with incomes well above the national income level were struggling to make ends meet. Meat became unaffordable and some citizens resorted to making bread at home, rather than purchasing it from bazaars.

 

Experts claim that in order to prevent price hikes like this one in the future, Tajikistan must become less dependent on other countries (specifically Russia) for food. This would require an increase in Tajikistan's agricultural sector, which already accounts for 24.2% of the nation's GDP. Given the stress already on farmers to produce what they do, this may be an impossible feat. "I just spent $6,000 on seed, fuel, fertilizers, and other expenses, and it's only the beginning of the harvest season," Farmer Haitali Buriev told Radio Free Europe. "And I have to pay taxes and bribes for officials who find all kinds of pretexts to inspect my farm. How can I keep prices low?"