Full List: Top 10 African countries with the highest income needed to reach ‘peak happiness’ in 2026

• Egypt leads Africa with an estimated annual income threshold of $59,675, followed by Tunisia ($52,424) and Algeria ($48,248).

• Ghana ranks ninth among the African countries covered, with an estimated “income satiation” level of $22,698 per year.

• The ranking does not measure which countries are happiest; it estimates the income level at which earning more begins to have a diminishing effect on reported well-being.

A 2026 analysis by Remitly, based on research into the relationship between income and well-being, has estimated the annual income levels at which happiness reaches an “income satiation” point in countries around the world.

The analysis describes this as the “price of happiness”, the income level beyond which earning more is no longer expected to produce meaningful improvements in self-reported well-being. Remitly adjusted the underlying Purdue University research for local purchasing power, inflation and exchange rates.

Among the African countries covered in the analysis, Egypt has the highest estimated income satiation point at $59,675 per year, followed by Tunisia and Algeria.

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Egypt tops the African ranking, with an estimated $59,675 annual income marking the point at which additional earnings are expected to have little further effect on reported well-being.

The figure places Egypt significantly ahead of the other African countries in the ranking.

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Tunisia ranks second, with an estimated income satiation point of $52,424 per year.

Its position, together with Egypt and Algeria, means North African countries occupy the top three spots among the African countries covered by the analysis.

Algeria completes the North African sweep at number three, with an estimated $48,248 annual income threshold.

The sharp difference between Algeria and the country in fourth place shows the sizeable gap between the top three African countries and the rest of the list.

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Djibouti ranks fourth, with the estimated income level associated with peak life satisfaction standing at $25,811 a year.

The figure is almost half that of Algeria, illustrating the significant variation in income satiation levels across the continent.

Comoros follows closely behind Djibouti at $25,772 per year.

The difference between the two countries is just $39, making them the closest pair in the top five.

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The Central African Republic occupies sixth place, with an estimated $24,557 annual income threshold.

Its inclusion highlights an important point about the ranking: the “price of happiness” is not simply determined by the size or wealth of a country's economy. Local purchasing power and living costs also influence the estimate.

Burundi ranks seventh, with an estimated $23,509 income satiation point.

The country's figure is relatively close to those recorded by Niger and Ghana further down the ranking.

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Niger comes eighth at $22,877 per year.

Its position demonstrates why the ranking should not be interpreted as a league table of the happiest countries. A higher threshold simply means that the analysis estimates a higher income level before additional earnings have a diminishing effect on reported well-being.

Ghana ranks ninth among the African countries on the list, with an estimated $22,698 annual income threshold.

The figure places Ghana just behind Niger, with a difference of $179 between the two countries.

Importantly, the ranking does not mean that Ghanaians earning $22,698 are necessarily happier than people earning less. Rather, it represents an estimated point of income satiation based on the methodology used by Remitly.

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Gabon completes the top 10 with an estimated $22,470 annual income threshold.

The country sits only slightly below Ghana, making the bottom four positions in this African top 10 relatively close together.

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The term can be misleading if interpreted as the amount of money someone needs to be happy.

Remitly's analysis is based on income satiation, which refers to the point at which additional income no longer produces meaningful improvements in reported subjective well-being. The underlying research considers factors including people's assessment of their lives and their positive and negative emotional experiences.

The figures were adjusted using purchasing-power ratios and inflation so that income levels could be compared across countries with different prices and economic conditions.

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It is also important not to confuse the income threshold* with a country's overall happiness ranking.

For example, Egypt having the highest African threshold does not mean Egyptians are automatically the happiest people on the continent. The figure simply represents the estimated income level at which additional earnings begin to have a diminishing effect on reported well-being.

Likewise, Ethiopia has the lowest price of happiness globally in the 2026 analysis, at $10,176, but Remitly notes that the country's average annual income is only about $777, meaning that reaching its estimated income satiation point remains far beyond the means of the average worker.

The African figures are also considerably lower than the thresholds recorded in several major economies.

Remitly estimates the income satiation point at $134,827 in the United States, $113,755 in Canada and $71,201 in China. Iceland records the highest country-level figure globally at $163,579.

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The analysis therefore provides an interesting picture of how the relationship between money and well-being varies across economies, while also showing that income alone does not determine happiness.

Note:These figures are estimates, not recommended salaries or guarantees of happiness. Remitly says its data was correct as of March 2026 and was derived from Purdue University research, adjusted for purchasing power, inflation and currency conversion.