These Are The Most Positive Countries In The World

So you're toiling away at your desk job, mainlining coffee like a pro, when you're abruptly struck by the desire to pack up your bags and move to a tropical country thousands of miles away. Whether you actually go through with this plan is up to you — as a rule, fantasies only work when they stay that way — but if you're determined to travel, you may want to take a look at the most positive countries in the world. After all, quitting your job to travel kind of loses its impact if all your Instagram posts are miserable.

According to this year's Gallup Global Emotions report, which measures the positive and negative experiences of people around the world, Latin American countries are some of the most positive in the world. Intended to provide a better idea of a country's quality of life aside from traditional economic factor, the annual report's results are based on interviews with almost 147,000 adults in 140 countries across the globe. Given its current refugee crisis an ongoing civil war, it may not come as a surprise that Syria ranked as the least positive, with a score of 36 out of 100. In contrast, Paraguay was the most positive country, earning a score of 84.

Of course, dozens of similar reports come out each year; in fact, the World Happiness Report named Denmark the happiest country in the world yesterday. Rankings depend on a number of factors, from method of data collection to measures used to determine happiness, and as a result, the findings often differ. (It should also be noted that positivity and happiness are related, but they're not the same thing.) However, as the New York Times points out, the happiest countries do have some factors in common: Economic stability, "strong social safety nets," and relatively equal distribution of wealth. In contrast, the unhappiest countries tend to be poorer and torn apart by civil unrest or disease.

Interestingly enough, a number of the countries who scored highly in Gallup's report have reputations for civil unrest in the past; most notable is Honduras, which is home to one of the most violent cities in the world. You can check out the results of the Gallup report for yourself here. Let's take a look at the top happiest countries below:

1. Paraguay

Paraguyan dancers performing during a parade.

Happiness Index: 84

2. Guatemala, Honduras, Uzbekistan & Ecuador

Fisherman on Lago de Atitlan, Guatemala.

Happiness Index: 83

3. El Salvador & Indonesia

Gunung Bromo, East Java, Indonesia.

Happiness Index: 82

Images: Pexels; Giphy; Michael Day, Adam Baker/Flickr