These Are The World’s 10 Happiest Countries

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It’s official… Paraguay is the happiest country in the world! On the ‘International Day of Happiness‘ (March 20th), Gallup compiled a list of the world’s happiest countries. Surprisingly, and for the first time in a decade, the top 10 happiest countries are all in Latin America.

To gauge happiness levels around the world, Gallup surveyed about 1,000 people, above the age of 15, in 143 countries in 2014 and asked them five questions about how they felt the day before. The participants were asked if they felt well rested, treated with respect, if they smiled or laughed, if they had learned or done something interesting and if they experienced enjoyment. Gallup then used the answers to calculate each country’s ‘positive experience index score.’

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People reported feeling happy even in war-torn countries, “perhaps a testimony of the resiliency of the human spirit,” Gallup officials said in a statement.

Gallup

Overall, the world has an average index score of 71 out of 100, but all of the Latin American countries that ranked in the top 10 scored above 81. At least 70% laugh/smile a lot, experience enjoyment, are treated with respect and are well-rested in Latin America.  For the curious, here is the complete list:

 CountriesPositive experiences index score
 Paraguay89
 Colombia84
 Ecuador84
 Guatemala84
 Honduras82
 Panama82
 Venezuela82
 Costa Rica81
 El Salvador81
 Nicaragua81
 Philippines80
 Singapore80
 Switzerland80
 Uruguay80
 Argentina79
 Bhutan79
 Canada79
 Chile79
 Dominican Republic79
 Netherlands79
 New Zealand79
 Norway79
 Rwanda79
 Sweden79
 United States79
 Denmark78
 Finland78
 Indonesia78
 Luxembourg78
 Puerto Rico78
 Taiwan78
 Uzbekistan78
 Bolivia77
 Germany77
 Kenya77
 Belgium76
 France76
 Ireland76
 Mauritius76
 Mexico76
 Nigeria76
 Sri Lanka76
 Australia75
 Austria75
 China75
 Peru75
 South Africa75
 Thailand75
 United Kingdom75
 Brazil74
 Mauritania74
 Namibia74
 Senegal74
 Spain74
 Belize73
 Mali73
 Portugal72
 Saudi Arabia72
 Tanzania72
 Malaysia71
 Vietnam71
 Ghana70
 India70
 Italy70
 Jamaica70
 Poland70
 Cambodia69
 Malawi69
 Malta69
 Sierra Leone69
 Guinea68
 Myanmar68
 Slovenia68
 Zimbabwe68
 Botswana67
 Cyprus67
 Greece67
 Hong Kong67
 Jordan67
 Kyrgyzstan67
 Madagascar67
 Zambia67
 Japan66
 Niger66
 Ivory Coast65
 Kazakhstan65
 Russia65
 Slovakia65
 Turkmenistan65
 Algeria64
 Angola64
 Burkina Faso64
 Cameroon64
 Estonia64
 Latvia64
 Macedonia64
 Northern Cyprus64
 Tajikistan64
 Uganda64
 Albania63
 Burundi63
 Czech Republic62
 Lebanon62
 Chad61
 Haiti61
 Hungary61
 Iran61
 Israel61
 Mongolia61
 Benin60
 Bulgaria60
 Congo (Brazzaville)60
 Ethiopia60
 Iraq60
 Montenegro60
 Romania60
 Yemen60
 Armenia59
 Gabon59
 Palestinian Territoies59
 South Korea59
 Belarus58
 Egypt58
 Kosovo58
 Togo58
 Congo (Kinshasa)57
 Croatia57
 Liberia57
 Pakistan57
 Azerbaijan56
 Moldova56
 South Sudan56
 Ukraine56
 Afghanistan55
 Bosnia &Herzegovina55
 Lithuania55
 Nepal55
 Bangladesh54
 Serbia54
 Turkey54
 Tunisia52
 Sudan47

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35 COMMENTS

  1. Right…so a positive experience from one day constitutes a lifetime of happiness. Happiness has to be measured on a far more long-term basis, I can have a bad day yesterday but that doesn’t imply that I’m unhappy. You can’t equate happiness to a positive experience from a single day… If you look at the world happiness report (which is based on far more criteria) for 2013 not a single Latin American country is even in the top 10. Happiness is, if anything, a relative construct; so I highly doubt that Latin America which has relatively high GINI coefficients is the happiest place on Earth. But this is just my opinion…I’ve never been to Latin America so for all I know they could be the happiest people in the world, but I doubt it..

    • Happiness is a mindset.
      Some cultures know how to cultivate it. Fortunately, wealth is not part of the happiness equation. You seem to have expected wealthy European countries to star brightly on this list. Sorry to disappoint. GINI coefficients has nothing to do with self realization.
      Yes, it’s quite possible Latin Americans are the happiest people.

    • Latin American people have a different culture. You’ll have to go and see for your self. Money is important, but, we also value a lot family, union, health happiness and good food. Simple things make us very happy.

    • Soy de Argentina, tuve la oportunidad de viajar por el mundo. A lo largo de mis viajes pude vivir experiencias maravillosas. Hablo con propiedad cuando digo, que gente malas hay en todo el mundo, pero por alguna razón, la sangre latina lleva energía positiva, camaradería y felicidad. Agradecería que cualquiera que no conozca esta maravillosa tierra que cada vez esta mas unificada, se abstenga de opinar por conjeturas y suposiciones.
      También los invito a vivir unos meses en nuestras tierras, y verán porque nos rehusamos a la evolución. Somos una gran comunidad, primitiva si te gusta, pero comunidad en fin.

    • Strikes me as all the EU countries are way down the list and with what is going on I shouldn’t wonder. IF the UK votes to get out of the EU we should hold a bank holiday each year and call it INDEPENDENCE DAY HOLIDAY

  2. Yes, it’s very subjective. I’m surprised Zimbabwe rates higher than Botswana, Every=one here is stressed & depressed. 90% unemployed, so many competing to sell in the streets that noone makes enough to eat decently, in a decaying dictatorship but nobody can say what might follow the crash which adds fear to anxiety and stress. Yes, a lot of people in Zim can smile, but the Batswana are generally less demonstrative so their happiness, which is real, is quieter.

  3. 1000 People in 143 countries is…. about 7 Persons per country.

    What a representative survey. Wow, science really has to be at its peak

    • It was a bit ambiguous but if you had followed the link to the survey you would have seen that it was 1000 people in each country.

  4. This may be the most accurate happyness survey ever.

    Denmark used to rank high here, but we are number 26 now.

    I think it is because of the crisis, lots of jobless people, terror, propaganda making people scared for nothing in reality. And the fact that the youth dont know what to do with their lives. And egoism, selfishness and shallowness also dominate the youth more than ever.

    • That’s because it’s nowhere near the same survey Denmark ranks/ranked number 1 in.

      The one Denmark is number 1 on is based on social security, healthcare, wages, whether or not we leave our strollies in the street if we go into a bakery etc.

      It wasn’t just based around “SO! How was your day yesterday? I assume that out from that answer I can define your entire population and their lifetime happiness”

  5. Who were they asking ? Another study rated Costa Rica, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, Vietnam, Canada, Netherlands, Sweden, Finland and Australia as the top ten happiest. These seem more likely as many of South Americans live in abject poverty with high mortality rates, not that those are necessarily indicators of unhappiness.

  6. I’m from Asunción, Paraguay. We are also the #1 country in ignorance and corruption. We’ll screw each other for any stupid reason but we are really kind to foreign people, I guess that’s why we are on the top of this bullshit list. So take the blue pill and come to Paraguay

    • Thanks for your honest reply. Corruption, crime and poverty are the order of the day in South America. How that equals happiness is beyond me. Perhaps a dose of brain damage helps as these same people keep voting for idiotic politicians who screw them blindly.

  7. North Korea is the absolute happiest! Thanks to their glorious leader who cares about all the citizens! Long live the Supreme Kim Jong-Un! xxoo

  8. Money gives you happiness and security. Not to mention possibilities to grow. Don’t believe that these South American countries are happy. They are some of the most dangerous places in the world. Huge outflows of people leave for a better life. I’m guessing the survey could only find idle people to answer the questions. They also have very low expectations which helps. Everyone else is busy getting on with their life rather than to work out if they were happy yesterday.

  9. By the way the United Kingdom is not a country. The fact that Scotland, Ireland and England aren’t at the bottom of the list is a sure sign its fake 🙂

  10. Of course the survey cant be very accurate but i can tell latin american people always kopw how to smile and get through life situations with the best attitude. They were invaded and looted by European empires who stole all their gold, brought illnesses (religion as the worst of all) even nowadays are nations bowed by the US CAFTA´s and drugs having USA and Europe as the biggest end consumers.
    So now.. despite this, they rank as happy countries? a fucking lesson to us all who complain about the smallest shite everyday

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