Gallup: Egypt, Tunisia Chaos Not Tied to Wealth Rise

In the two Middle Eastern countries being rocked by mass uprisings, polling suggests that a general dissatisfaction not tied to economic fortunes might be driving anti-government revolts, the National Journal reports.

A recurring Gallup poll shows that even as the economies of Egypt and Tunisia grew, the number of people who said they were “thriving” plummeted.

The share of Egyptians “thriving” fell by more than half, to 11 percent last year from 25 percent in 2007, in Gallup surveys of well-being. Tunisians didn’t sound much happier: Their self-reported sense of well-being fell almost as sharply, to 14 percent last year from 24 percent in 2008.

Yet per-capita income — a widely used measure of prosperity — has risen by a third in both countries over the last five years. The numbers show “leaders cannot assume that the lives of those in their countries would improve in tandem with rising GDP," a Gallup report concludes.