Colombia Ranks as Happiest Country in New Poll
A new poll finds the South American country of Colombia is the happiest place on earth.
The WIN/Gallup International End of Year Survey asked respondents around the world how happy they are. Colombia topped out at the top of the list, with an 85 percent "net happiness index."
WIN/Gallup International polled roughly 66,000 people from 68 countries across the world from September to December of this year, asking all of them, "In general, do you personally feel very happy, happy, neither happy nor unhappy, unhappy or very unhappy about your life?"
In all, 87 percent of all Colombians respondents answered they were either happy or very happy in the recently conducted survey, compared to just 2 percent who responded they were unhappy or very unhappy.
It's the second time over the last four years the country has topped all others in that category, the last time coming in 2012. Colombia was followed in the most recent poll by last year's winner Fiji (82 percent), Saudi Arabia (82 percent), Azerbaijan (81 percent), Vietnam (80 percent), Argentina (79 percent), Panama (79 percent), Mexico (76 percent) and Ecuador (75 percent).
The United States ranked No. 44 in the poll at 43 percent. Ranking dead last was Iraq, polling at negative 12 percent.
"2015 has been a tumultuous year for many across the globe," said president of WIN/Gallup International Jean-Marc Leger. "Despite that, the world remains largely a happy place."
In all, about two in every three respondents insisted they were happy overall, just slightly down from the 70 percent that answered the same way just a year ago.
The poll also sought responses to determine if people are more hopeful overall this year, specifically on the issue of economic standing. Argentina was the only Latin American nation to rank in the Top 10 in all three categories.
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