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Zimbabwe is the world's most miserable country, trumping Venezuela, Cuba and war-torn Syria. 

That is according to an annual 'misery index', which ranks almost 160 countries on factors like unemployment figures, inflation and bank-lending rates.

The African nation, home to roughly 16million people, has now ranked among the top five gloomiest nations for three years in a row. Britain is more miserable than last year — moving from 153rd to 129th on the scale. 

Professor Steve Hanke, the economist behind the ranking, claimed inflation, which stood at 10.1 per cent in March, has been a 'major contributing factor'.

Despite now trending downward, it sparked the biggest surge in food prices since 1977 and added £800 to the average household's annual bill.

But the US moved the other way, from 102nd to 134th.