# The Happiest Countries in the World: Panama Number 1?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-happiest-countries-in-the-world-panama-number-1/698702>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [September 17, 2014, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-happiest-countries-in-the-world-panama-number-1/698702 "2014-09-17T01:52:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-happiest-countries-in-the-world-panama-number-1/698702/1 "2014-09-17T01:52:33Z")

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" A new international survey, the Gallup-Healthways Global Well-Being Index, reveals how 135 countries rank when it comes to the well-being of their residents.

The results are based on how people fare on five factors that contribute to well-being. These factors include having purpose, being physically healthy, being financially secure, having supportive social relationships and being satisfied with the community."

> **[This Is How 135 Nations Fare on Happiness](https://www.livescience.com/47863-countries-happiness-rank.html)**
>
> A new international survey, the Gallup-Healthways Global Well-Being Index, reveals how 135 countries rank when it comes to the well-being of their residents.

Perhaps Colibri can comment if people seem happy in Panama?

The most surprising listing to me was for Italy (seriously unhappy). While Italy has serious economic problems I guess my image of Italy is based on old romantic movies set in Italy of a few decades ago.

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**Author:** ![DingoelGringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@DingoelGringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DingoelGringo)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-happiest-countries-in-the-world-panama-number-1/698702/2 "2014-09-17T01:57:55Z")

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I spent 3 years of my retirement in Panama and found the people more happy and upbeat than here in the Dominican Republic. I also grew up there for 8 years and so I felt as if I were going home so to speak.