OK, the results are in and Panama is ranked number 2.

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.

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.