Paraguay smiles "like no one" in first place as the happiest and most positive country in the world

The three emotions hit record levels in 2018, for the second year in a row, in the annual report on Gallup's overall state of emotions. People were also asked about positive emotions, which caused more promising news.

Globally, more than 7 out of 10 people reported having fun, feeling well rested and having a lot of laughs or laughs the day before the survey, while 87% said they were treated respectfully.

Paraguay has regained first place as the happiest and most positive country in the world. Panama, Guatemala, Mexico, El Salvador and Honduras have been fiercely competitive despite the fact that these countries suffer from high levels of poverty and violence. "Latin Americans do not always see their life as the best … but they laugh, smile and have fun like no other in the world," said Gallup Associate Director Jon Clifton.

Their high scores "at least partly reflect the cultural tendency of the region to focus on the positive aspects of life," the report adds.

Indonesia, meanwhile, was the most positive nation outside the Americas.

The Scandinavian countries are generally among the happiest countries in the world, with four countries: Finland, Denmark, Norway and Iceland, which feature in this year's United Nations Report on Happiness in the World. The Gallup interview approach, however, has repeatedly revealed higher levels of achievement in Latin America.

And, while the world posted its highest overall score for negativity in the report, it also related to 2013, 2014 and 2015 for record levels of positivism, suggesting growing inequality in the emotions of the world's population.