Much like the object of twisted affection in Stephen King’s novel Misery, the economies of the 15 countries in Bloomberg’s so-called Misery Index for 2015 have been hobbled by unemployment and Consumer Price Index changes, the two simple components added together to yield a misery score.
The index projects Venezuela’s economy to suffer the most by far in 2015, making living and working there, well, miserable. The country is plagued by a shortage of basic goods as well as sky-high inflation.
Top 15 most miserable economies in the world
- Venezuela
- Argentina
- South Africa
- Ukraine
- Greece
- Spain
- Russia
- Croatia
- Turkey
- Portugal
- Italy
- Colombia
- Brazil
- Slovakia
- Indonesia
The novel Misery is filled with misfortune, rescue, false hope, even greater misfortune and, ultimately, survival against all odds.
One need only look to recent history and the present state of many of these economies to see similarities between this fictitious story arc and reality. The reality for these countries reminds us of the interconnectedness of the world’s financial markets, and the delicate balance needed to either despair or thrive.
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Jennifer Molloy is editor of The Institutional Real Estate Letter – Asia Pacific
