The Happiest Countries in The World

a woman smiling outdoors.
(Image credit: Warren Goldswain, Shutterstock.com)

Paraguay is the happiest country in the world, according to a new Gallup poll of people in 143 countries.

The newly released 2014 Gallup Positive Experience Index surveyed about 1,000 people in each country and asked them five questions about how they felt the day before, including whether they laughed or smiled, felt well rested and felt as if they were treated with respect. Participants also answered whether they had learned something interesting yesterday, and whether they felt enjoyment. Gallup officials then used the answers to calculate each country's "positive experience index score." [Read the full story on the 2014 happiest country ratings]

Below is a graph showing how the countries ranked.

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Laura Geggel
Editor

Laura is the archaeology and Life's Little Mysteries editor at Live Science. She also reports on general science, including paleontology. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Scholastic, Popular Science and Spectrum, a site on autism research. She has won multiple awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association for her reporting at a weekly newspaper near Seattle. Laura holds a bachelor's degree in English literature and psychology from Washington University in St. Louis and a master's degree in science writing from NYU.