A new study claims that people living in wealthy countries experience more stress and anger than those who live in poorer countries.

People living in a well-off country might be more satisfied in their lives but that can make them more stressed out.

"Life in an affluent country is more fast-paced and there are just so many things that you have to do leading to stress," Louis Tay, an assistant professor of psychology at Indiana-based Purdue University, was quoted as saying.

To carry out the study, the researchers examined income data from nearly 840,000 people in 158 nations.

Participants reported how satisfied they were with their lives and whether they experienced various feelings such as "worry," "sadness" and "anger", a LiveScience report said.

There is a link between anxiety and having too many choices because trying to make the best choice fast can stress people out.

Researchers also found that people who lived in wealthier countries expressed higher levels of life satisfaction than those who made a similar amount of money, but lived in poorer countries.

The study has been published in the journal Psychological Science.