Unemployment, lack of happiness and difficulties in making ends meet are the main reasons for Iran being at the top of the world table for “social violence”, says a member of Iranian parliament.

Parvaneh Salahshour, a Tehran MP, is quoted by parliament’s official website on December 7 as saying, “Based on a report compiled by the Ministry of Health, quarrels and physical disputes are the second factor in leading Iranians to their death in emergency units.

Parvaneh Salahshouri insists that the latest opinion polls show that Iran is world’s number one, when it comes to social violence which indicates the fact that Iranians are the angriest people on Earth.

The degree of violence among citizens has reached a point that it cannot be ignored anymore, Salahshouri notes, adding “The problem is so worrisome that needs instant attention”.

Social violence does not have a single cause---many urban problems, including heavy traffic, noise pollution, unemployment and difficulties in making ends meet, all have a role, Salahshouri affirms.

Tehran's MP also asserts that lack of social joy and happiness is one of the reasons behind increasing violence in different layers of society.

“While Iranians are facing numerous difficulties in their lives, joy is one of the rare commodities in Iran today since a cultural norm, wrongly based on negating joy and pleasure, is widely promoted in our society”.

One of the best ways to address the problem, Salahshouri believes, is promoting tolerance and the positive impact of living happily.

Ms. Salahshouri has not specifically referred to a pollster but, in late last summer, Gallup published a report presenting Iraq, Iran and Sudan as the angriest countries in the world.

Did you know 70% of human behavior is based on emotions -- not reason? The report asks, adding, “While measurements like unemployment and GDP help quantify certain aspects of a society's health, virtually no macro-level data exist on the emotional state of a country. Until now.

This report, in its third year, offers global leaders, economists and political scientists' insights into people's feelings and behaviors, telling them more about their society's health and future than traditional economic measures can alone, Gallup asserts.

The report presents Iraq as the unhappiest place to live on Earth.

The poll measured the emotions of residents in 138 countries, ranging from anger and stress to sadness and physical pain. The higher the score, the more common negative feelings were to individuals living in each country.

Greeks at 67% were the most stressed in the world.

Meanwhile, more than 70% of people worldwide smiled; experienced a lot of enjoyment or laughed a lot, a day before the report was compiled.

Iraq ranked highest with a score of 57, followed by Iran with 53 points and Egypt with 50, according to the poll. Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan had the lowest negative experience figure, 13, which means residents there are the happiest in the world.

Almost half of Iranians – 48% – said they would not recommend their country to a friend searching for a place to live.