World news does not always fully capture people’s level of happiness. Last year, Gallup found a majority of people in the world experienced positive emotions. Of course, in some countries and regions people were much more positive than others.

People living in the countries experiencing the most positive emotions were the most likely to report high levels of enjoyment, smiling and a good night’s sleep. The people in the most miserable countries, on the other hand, were the least likely to experience these emotions. These are the world’s most content and miserable countries.

According to Jon Clifton, managing director of the World Gallup Poll, a person’s financial situation is one of five factors affecting well-being and far from a conclusive happiness indicator. Nine of the most content countries had estimated GDPs of less than $15,000 per capita last year. In Lithuania — the third most miserable country — GDP per capita was $22,566. On the other hand, Nicaragua — the third most content country — had a GDP per capita of just $4,548.

The state of a country’s economy, however, can play a major role in determining the quality of its residents’ experiences. Four of the most miserable countries had estimated inflation rates of at least 5% last year. In Belarus, it was as high as 17.5%. Inflation was comparatively low in the most content countries, with eight of the 10 most content countries had inflation rates of 5% or less.

With the exception of Denmark, most countries with the highest percentages of people experiencing positive emotions were in Latin America.

Clifton explained that the dominant presence of Latin American countries on this list has a cultural explanation. Residents of Latin America tend to have “strong communities and spend a great deal of time with their families.” There is a similar phenomenon in the U.S. where “one of the biggest drivers of [well-being] is time spent with family members.”

For the most miserable countries, cultural drivers played somewhat less of a role. Although a number of the least content countries were part of the former Soviet Union, the poor experiences in these countries may be due primarily to economic conditions brought on by the Soviet Union’s collapse.

Residents in highly emotional countries reported both higher rates of positive and negative emotions. Latin Americans reported both the highest levels of positive emotions and the highest levels of negative emotions. They are perhaps the most emotional region in the world, Clifton explained. Former members of the Soviet Union, however, are the opposite. “They’re just not reporting a lot of emotions in general,” Clifton said.

In some cases, it is quite obvious why people report low positive emotions. For example, Syria, which had the lowest well-being score ever recorded by Gallup, is in the midst of an on-going, bloody civil war.

To identify the countries with the most and least positive experiences, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed Gallup’s recent Positive Experience Index, which measured the experience of well-being the day before the survey in 138 countries. Survey respondents were asked whether they experienced lots of enjoyment, laughed or smiled a lot, felt well-rested, and were treated with respect. We also reviewed economic data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Life expectancy figures came from the World Bank.

These are the countries reporting the highest (and lowest) positive emotions.

11. El Salvador
> Positive experience index score: 81
> Pct. smiled or laughed: 89% (4th highest)
> GDP per capita: $7,505 (58th lowest)
> Life expectancy: 71 (60th lowest)

More people smiled or laughed in the previous 24 hours in El Salvador than all but three other countries. Money is not the biggest factor in the happiness of El Salvadorians. Government spending as a percentage of GDP has been among the lowest out of all of the countries surveyed. And despite the fact that the country’s GDP growth was among the lowest in 2013, people were still generally happy. Approximately three-quarters of El Salvadorians said they learned something new in the previous day, among the highest percentages of the countries surveyed.

10. Venezuela
> Positive experience index score:81 (tied, 9th)
> Pct. smiled or laughed: 86% (8th highest)
> GDP per capita: $13,586 (56th highest)
> Life expectancy: 74 (49th highest)

Consumer prices in Venezuela have risen faster than prices in nearly every other country each year since 2009. The country’s inflation rate was estimated at 38% last year, more than that of any other country except for Iran. Compared with other countries where residents have more positive experiences, the unemployment rate in Venezuela was quite high, at an estimated 9.2% in 2013. The country also suffers from high crime rates and violent anti-government protests are fairly common. Despite the high inflation, unemployment, and social unrest, the country’s residents had an overall positive experience living in the country. In response to some of the difficulties, President Nicolas Maduro announced the creation of the Vice Ministry for the Supreme Social Happiness of the Venezuelan People at the end of last year. The office is meant to coordinate social programs for disadvantaged Venezuelans.

9. Honduras
> Positive experience index score: 81
> Pct. smiled or laughed: 88% (tied – 5th highest)
> GDP per capita: $4,844 (42nd lowest)
> Life expectancy: 73 (62nd highest)

Nearly three-quarters of Hondurans said they learned something new in the previous day, one of the highest levels of all of the countries surveyed. Nearly 90% of Honduran respondents said they smiled or laughed a lot in the previous 24 hours, a higher figure than all but four other countries. A high percentage of residents also said they felt well-rested, another key to feeling positive. Hondurans felt positive despite the country’s political unrest in recent years, including a 2009 coup that cost then President Manuel Zelaya his office. Earlier this month, the country’s police forcefully removed protesting opposition lawmakers, including Zelaya, from the Honduran parliament building.

8. Denmark
> Positive experience index score: 82
> Pct. smiled or laughed: 78% (42nd highest)
> GDP per capita: $37,794 (14th highest)
> Life expectancy: 79 (tied – 21st highest)

Denmark has consistently been one of the world’s most positive countries, and it is the only non Latin American country on the list this year. As many as 92% of Danish residents said they experience enjoyment the day before, a higher percentage than in any other country. Unlike other positive nations, Denmark’s economy is relatively well developed, with an estimated GDP per capita of $37,794 last year, among the highest figures in the world. The country also boasts well-funded social services that although they require higher-than-average tax rates, may also considerably lower stress levels. Danes also have among the highest life-expectancies in the world, at 79 years as of 2011, which may also potentially contribute to positive feelings.

7. Colombia
> Positive experience index score: 82
> Pct. smiled or laughed: 85% (tied – 13th highest)
> GDP per capita: $11,088 (64th highest)
> Life expectancy: 73 (62nd highest)

Despite the fact that, on average, one in 10 workers were unemployed, a high percentage of Colombians said they experienced enjoyment within the previous 24 hours when surveyed. Nearly three-quarters of its residents said that they learned something new in the past day, and 85% said that they smiled or laughed a lot. Only three countries had a higher percentage of citizens who felt that they were treated with respect. After years of conflict, Colombia and the long-active FARC rebel group have been actively engaged in peace talks since 2012, another factor that could be contributing to the positive feelings of Colombian citizens.

6. Costa Rica
> Positive experience index score: 82
> Pct. smiled or laughed: 85% (tied – 13th highest)
> GDP per capita: $12,874 (58th highest)
> Life expectancy: 79 (tied, 21st highest)

Costa Rica had a higher percentage of respondents who said they experienced enjoyment in the previous day than most other countries. Three-quarters of Costa Ricans said they felt well-rested, among the highest of the surveyed nations, and 85% of the country’s residents said that they smiled or laughed within the past day. Costa Rica also ranked better than all but four other nations in the percentage of citizens who felt they were treated with respect. As with many of the countries in Latin America, money was not the determining factor in peoples’ positive feelings. The government spent just 19.8% of GDP on its residents, less than most other countries.

5. Ecuador
> Positive experience index score: 83
> Pct. smiled or laughed: 84% (tied – 15th highest)
> GDP per capita: $10,610 (67th lowest)
> Life expectancy: 75 (40th highest)

In 2012, 75% of Ecuador’s rural population had access to clean water, a considerable improvement from previous years. Poverty has also been on the decline, with 27.3% living beneath the national poverty level in 2012, down from 36% in 2009. The IMF forecasts Ecuador’s economy to remain relatively stable, with a low inflation rate and moderately good unemployment rate. Overall, life seems to be improving for Ecuadorians. Residents felt extremely positive and were among the most likely people surveyed by Gallup to say they had learned something new in the previous day, at 76%.

4. Nicaragua
> Positive experience index score: 84
> Pct. smiled or laughed: 90% (tied – 2nd highest)
> GDP per capita: $$4,548 (39th lowest)
> Life expectancy: 73 (62nd highest)

Only Paraguay had a higher percentage of people who said they smiled or laughed in the previous day than Nicaragua. More than 80% of its citizens said they felt well-rested, and 72% said that they learned something new in the preceding 24 hours. Both figures were among the highest out of all the countries surveyed. Even the country’s frequent earthquakes, such as the one on April 11 that injured hundreds of people and damaged homes, did not appear to dampen Nicaraguans positive outlook too much. The country is dealing with several economic problems, including a higher inflation rate than most countries. In addition, the country hopes to improve the economy by strengthening its currency, the córdoba. Nicaragua asked the IMF for help in the matter.

3. Guatemala
> Positive experience index score: 83
> Pct. smiled or laughed: 88% (tied – 5th highest)
> GDP per capita: $5,265 (44th lowest)
> Life expectancy: 71 (tied, 60th lowest)

Guatemala’s GDP per capita has been fairly low, estimated at $5,265 last year, among the lower figures compared with other countries reviewed. GDP growth was not especially high, estimated at 3% in 2012 and 3.3% in 2013. The country was also involved in a brutal, 36-year long civil war, which ended in 1996 but is still fresh in many Guatemalans’ memories. Despite the country’s bloody history and its low per capita GDP, Guatemala residents were among the most positive people in the world. Survey respondents felt well-treated — 95% said they were treated with respect the day before, more than all but a handful of nations.

2. Panama
> Positive experience index score: 86
> Pct. smiled or laughed: 90% (tied – 2nd highest)
> GDP per capita: $16,540 (48th highest)
> Life expectancy: 77 (30th highest)

Panama residents live longer than most in Latin America. They had a life expectancy at birth of 77 as of 2011. The country’s economy is also doing quite well in terms of jobs. The country’s unemployment rate was estimated to be 4.2% last year, one of the lowest rates among all countries reviewed. The country also had one the world’s fastest-growing national economies in recent years. GDP growth rate exceeded 10% in both 2011 and 2012 before falling to an estimated 7.5% last year. Nine in 10 survey respondents said they smiled or laughed the day before they were asked, second only to Paraguay. Residents were also the most likely to have learned something new, a key indicator in job satisfaction and well-being.

1. Paraguay
> Positive experience index score: 87
> Pct. smiled or laughed: 92% (the highest)
> GDP per capita: $6,758 (54th lowest)
> Life expectancy: 72 (62nd highest)

Paraguay notched a score of 87 on Gallup’s Positive Experience Index, higher than any other nation surveyed. The country also had the highest percentage of people who said they smiled or laughed in the preceding 24 hours, and of people who felt they were treated with respect. The country’s GDP grew by an estimated 12% in 2013, higher than all but two other nations surveyed. Like residents in other countries, Paraguayans are often positive in the face of political turmoil.. Former President Fernando Lugo was impeached in 2012 in part due to his handling of a violent land dispute between the government and the country’s farmers, which resulted in 17 people being killed. Lugo was also ousted in part because of the country’s struggling economy at the time, although it saw a resurgence one year later in terms of GDP growth.

10. Nagorno-Karabakh
> Positive experience index score: 55 (tied – 8th lowest)
> Pct. smiled or laughed: 55% (tied – 16th lowest)
> GDP per capita: N/A
> Life expectancy: N/A

An ongoing war between Azerbaijan and those living in Nagorno-Karabakh, who are backed by Armenia, may be one of the main reasons it has such a low positive experience index score. An estimated 30,000 people died in the conflict and millions of people were displaced before the two nations agreed to a truce in 1994. Still, skirmishes between the two nations continue. The residents of Nagorno-Karabakh were among the least likely people surveyed to say they smiled or laughed a lot, or experienced enjoyment, or learned something new within the last day. Currently, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), along with the governments of France and the U.S., are trying to negotiate a permanent peace treaty between the sides involved.

9. Azerbaijan
> Positive experience index score: 55 (tied, 8th lowest)
> Pct. smiled or laughed: 57% (23rd lowest)
> GDP per capita: $10,789 (67th highest)
> Life expectancy: 70 (tied, 53rd lowest)

One might expect oil-rich nations to have high GDPs. Azerbaijan, however, is one example where this is not the case. Despite being an oil-rich country, Azerbaijan’s estimated GDP per capita was $10,789 last year. The country’s government has been criticized for rigging elections and widespread corruption. In addition, a war for control of Nagorno-Karabakh, a predominantly Armenian region, broke out years ago with Armenia backing the region’s people. The conflict claimed tens of thousands of lives as millions were displaced. High percentages of residents stated they did not feel treated with respect or learn something new within the last day.

8. Yemen
> Positive experience index score: 55 (tied, 8th lowest)
> Pct. smiled or laughed: 55% (tied, 16th lowest)
> GDP per capita: $2,348 (27th lowest)
> Life expectancy: 62 (29th lowest)

Yemen suffers from political instability, threats of terrorist attacks, and a declining economy. Its citizens ranked close to last in nearly every measure of and happiness in Gallup’s survey. Only half of Yemenis said they felt well-rested, and only 55% said they smiled or laughed within the past day. Both figures were among the lowest of all countries surveyed. In the wake of violent mass protests, long-time President Ali Abdullah Saleh finally gave up power at the beginning of 2012. However, al-Qaeda has gained a strong footing in the country, and terrorist activities in the country continue. For the past several years, Yemen’s economy has struggled as oil revenues have shrunk. Inflation rate in Yemen was among the highest every year since 2010. Per capita GDP, too, is very low, at an estimated $2,348 last year, which ranked lower than most countries.

7. Belarus
> Positive experience index score: 54 (tied – 4th lowest)
> Pct. smiled or laughed: 53% (11th lowest)
> GDP per capita: $16,106 (50th highest)
> Life expectancy: 70 (tied – 53rd lowest)

Just 53% of Belarusians surveyed last year reported they felt rested, among the least of all countries reviewed. Similarly, a lower percentage of residents than in most other nations said they smiled or laughed the previous day.The Belarusian economy has struggled with spiking prices in recent years. The country’s inflation rate was 53.2% in 2011 and 59.2% in 2012, the highest in the world in both years. The national economy is largely state-controlled and is dependent on oil and natural gas subsidies from Russia. In addition to to its economic issues, Belarus is also considered Europe’s last dictatorship, and residents do not have the freedom to assemble or freedom of the press.

6. Nepal
> Positive experience index score: 54 (tied, 4th lowest)
> Pct. smiled or laughed: 55% (tied, 16th lowest)
> GDP per capita: $1,506 (15th lowest)
> Life expectancy: 67 (38th lowest)

A mere half of Nepal residents said they were treated with respect the day before Gallup’s survey, nearly the worst rate among all countries reviewed. And less than one quarter of survey-respondents said they learned something new the day before, worse than in every country except for Georgia and Pakistan. One explanation could be the poor state of the economy. The inflation rate was an estimated 9.9% last year, among the higher rates in the world. GDP was also exceptionally low, at just $1,506 per person last year, among the lowest in the world. Although the country’s Maoist rebellion ended in 2006, Nepal has struggled to create well-functioning, stable political institutions.

5. Serbia
> Positive experience index score: 54 (tied – 4th lowest)
> Pct. smiled or laughed: 45% (3rd lowest)
> GDP per capita: $11,085 (65th highest)
> Life expectancy: 74 (49th highest)

The Serbian people have not had a particularly pleasant recent history, starting with the Yugoslav wars in the early 1990s and later the Kosovo War. These bloody armed conflicts were accompanied by war crimes committed by most parties. The Republic of Serbia, its most recent formation, was established in 2006. The country’s political corruption and weak economy likely only added to Serbians’ lack of positivity. Nearly one in four Serbians are unemployed, among the highest unemployment rates of the countries surveyed. Just 45% of Serbian survey respondents said they laughed or smiled in the previous day, and 49% said they felt well-rested — both among the lowest of all of the countries.

4. Bosnia and Herzegovina
> Positive experience index score: 54 (tied – 4th lowest)
> Pct. smiled or laughed: 47% (4th lowest)
> GDP per capita: $8,293 (60th lowest)
> Life expectancy: 76 (33rd highest)

Bosnia and Herzegovina suffered through a violent ethnic conflict in the early and mid-1990s following the breakup of Yugoslavia. Although it has been nearly two decades since the war ended, international peacekeeping forces remain active in the country. Local institutions, including schools, are often segregated along ethnic lines between Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs. The country is relatively poor by European standards, with a per capita GDP of just $8,293 in 2013, while its unemployment rate was an exceptionally high 27.0% last year. A number of former Yugoslavian nations had similarly high unemployment, including Serbia, Macedonia, and Croatia.

3. Lithuania
> Positive experience index score: 53
> Pct. smiled or laughed: 54% (14th lowest)
> GDP per capita: $22,566 (35th highest)
> Life expectancy: 73 (62nd highest)

Lithuania had a relatively high GDP per capita, at $22,566, in 2013. Despite the seemingly capable economy, Lithuanians were among the unhappiest people in the world. The country has a high suicide rate. It also had among the highest alcohol consumption per capita in the world, according to the World Health Organization. Heavy alcohol consumption can exacerbate or, in some cases, even cause depression. Lithuanians were among the least likely to say they have experienced enjoyment in the previous day or to say they smiled or laughed in the preceding 24 hours.

2. Chad
> Positive experience index score: 52
> Pct. smiled or laughed: 37% (the lowest)
> GDP per capita: $2,543 (30th lowest)
> Life expectancy: 49 (3rd lowest)

Chad is one of the poorest countries and most undeveloped nations in the world. According to the World Bank, 47% of Chad’s residents lived in poverty in 2011, with a majority of the poor living in rural areas. As of 2011, life expectancy at birth was an abysmal 49 years in Chad, among the lowest in the world. Less than 2% of the population in Chad, largely a desert country, had access to electricity. A conflict between native Chadians and Muslims in the country continues. Chad ranked close to the bottom in the percentage of its people who said they smiled or laughed in the past day, and in the percentage of people who felt they were treated with respect.

1. Syria
> Positive experience index score: 36
> Pct. smiled or laughed: 41% (2nd lowest)
> GDP per capita: N/A
> Life expectancy: 75 (40th highest)

Syria’s positive experience index score of 36 marks the all-time lowest score for any country Gallup has ever surveyed. Just 36% of Syrians said they felt happy in the last day, the lowest percentage in the world. Syrians were also less likely to feel well-rested than people almost anywhere else in the world. The country is in the middle of a civil war between the nation’s military forces and rebels seeking to oust President Bashar Al-Assad. The war has taken the lives of more than 160,000 people, according to some sources. The IMF has not gathered data from Syria since 2010, nor does it produce estimates.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.