Top 19 Happiest Countries (and the 20 Saddest)

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A recent Gallup analysis of 2010 well-being polls finds vast differences between countries in terms of how many citizens rate themselves as thriving. Below are the countries were the majority of people say they're doing well, along with the percent of people who say they're thriving.

1. Denmark – 72 percent

2. Sweden – 69 percent

3. Canada – 69 percent

4. Australia – 65 percent

5. Finland – 64 percent

6. Venezuela – 64 percent

7. Israel – 63 percent

8. New Zealand – 63 percent

9. Netherlands – 62 percent

10. Ireland – 62 percent

11. Panama – 61 percent

12. United States – 59 percent

13. Austria – 58 percent

14. Costa Rica – 58 percent

15. Brazil – 57 percent

16. United Arab Emirates – 55 percent

17. United Kingdom – 54 percent

18. Qatar – 53 percent

19. Mexico – 52 percent

A total of 67 countries had less than a quarter of residents report that they were thriving, including Iraq at 13 percent, India at 17 percent and Libya at 14 percent (the surveys were taken before the unrest in Libya began). Here are the twenty lowest-scoring nations, from most to least happy:

20. Cameroon – 9 percent

19. Bulgaria – 9 percent

18. Sudan – 9 percent

17. Morocco – 9 percent

16. Uganda – 8 percent

15. Liberia – 8 percent

14. Senegal – 6 percent

13. Kenya – 6 percent

12. Botswana – 5 percent

11. Sri Lanka – 5 percent

10. Comoros – 4 percent

9. Mali – 4 percent

8. Tanzania – 4 percent

7. Tajikistan – 3 percent

6. Niger – 3 percent

5. Cambodia – 3 percent

4. Burkina Faso – 3 percent

3. Haiti – 2 percent

2. Central African Republic – 2 percent

1. Chad – 1 percent

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