If you were to think about how positively you feel about your own security and opportunities in life, how would you answer? Also take time to consider how many times you have laughed and smiled thanks to positive interactions in the past few months. Now ask yourself: Would this be different if you and your loved ones were born in a different country?

As we look at the world today and see stark differences in the development of regions around the world, it opens up the debate as to which of those regions extracts the most enjoyment out of this mortal life. Happiness is a very profound topic that could well be the most significant driver of many people’s purpose in our modern world. Whether you achieve your peace of mind through prospective opportunities, the security of yourself and the people around you, the amount of free time you have to pursue fulfilling activities, or even the amount of money that you earn, it is always dictated by external factors. We humans are social creatures, and our joy almost always depends on our surroundings.

So how do we measure happiness? Well, the most commonly accepted parameter of this is provided by the world happiness report from Gallup. Whilst the report provides pretty extensive analyses of the different factors affecting an individual's overall well-being rating, there must always be a consideration for the fact that this evaluation is partly subjective and temporary. Therefore, along with a potential lack of data in certain regions or age groups, it makes any conclusions about such results difficult to take as concrete evidence or facts. However, it does still provide some interesting insights when you look at this data alongside geographical location and development indicators.

According to Happiness and Life Satisfaction report, overall life satisfaction ratings across countries do tend to correlate with the economic strength of a country. Those countries with the highest happiness rating (HR) are generally the ones with the stronger economies as per GDP per capita. Equally, most of the unhappiest nations are from low income countries. So does this mean that, on average, money brings more happiness? I am sure you have your own life experiences that tell you there is more to being happy than just having lots of money. What it does tell us though, is that when people are born in a country with better opportunities and more safety, on average they do feel more satisfied with life. Which is not surprising given that economic development normally brings better security and access to food, energy, jobs, health, and educational services. What some may say are the essentials to a purposeful life.

However, after using the relevant analytical tools, I noticed some interesting observations when looking at this data comparing the relationship between overall happiness rating (HR) and GDP per capita. Firstly, countries in Central America seem to consistently have a higher HR compared to countries around the world with a similar level of GDP per capita.

This trend can be observed over and over again when comparing the region of Central America, and to some extent, South America, with more economically developed regions of Europe and Asia. Costa Rica, for example, with a GDP per capita of $22,000, outscores established and emerging economies alike, such as Spain, Italy, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and even Singapore, which boast the 3rd largest GDP per capita in the world at $108,000. Of course, GDP per capita doesn’t actually reflect whether the wealth is equally shared amongst populations within countries, but it is a decent reflection of the economic development of a country.

Data such as this, would suggest that whilst economic development and overall wealth of a country can, on average, help to increase the happiness of its population, there are many examples of places that would prove money is not essential to feeling as though you enjoy your life. Maybe life amongst the spectacular modern landscapes of Dubai, Tokyo, and Singapore, or even the pristine coastlines of Spain and Italy, isn’t the answer to all of our problems and sadness after all.

There is an argument that GDP per capita isn’t an ideal measure of a population's actual wealth, as a small percentage of insanely rich individuals can drag this value up. Therefore, if the high GDP’s of Singapore, Japan, and Italy were created by a small percentage of people having all the wealth, it wouldn’t be a fair representation. Nevertheless, data from 2019 showed that the richest 10% of Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Guatemala held shares of around or above 50% of their countries wealth, which is higher than many countries with stronger economies, such as, you guessed it, Japan, Singapore, Italy, South Korea, and Spain.

So, what happens if we measure the happiness rating against a different measure, such as the Human Development Index (HDI) score, which accounts for many different factors that reflect the overall quality of life for people within that nation? Again we see the now usual suspects of Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua producing higher HR scores than places of similar or greater overall development. So if money or overall quality of life isn’t causing this Central American cheerfulness, then what is?

Maybe it’s the absence of war, given that countries like Afghanistan, Yemen and Ukraine score very low on the Happiness index. Although the region of Central and South America has been no stranger to political turmoil and civil unrest in living memory. It could be the amount of free time available, given the reputation held by some of these bigger economies, like South Korea, for extensive working hours. Well, again in the OECD countries (part of a data sharing organisation) Costa Rica ranks as the 3rd highest country in terms of average hours worked per worker, placing it above South Korea, Japan, Italy and Spain amongst other wealthy nations lower on the Happiness Index.

Another possible factor affecting our satisfaction with modern life, could be the increasing effect of our use of technology. If we live in a culture of constantly comparing ourselves to everyone else on social media, how can we accurately measure happiness, when most of the online content that we see or produce is the result of a false attempt at trying to get others to believe we are happy? Surely it’s not sustainable to simply rely on attention from digital versions of the public to provide us with satisfaction. Or even depending on computers, games, and televisions to entertain us might have its limitations too. There are only so many times you can explore the same digital universe without getting bored, whereas mother nature never ceases to amaze.

Unfortunately, I cannot provide a definitive answer to explain these trends, it might even be the case that nobody can. Possibly because our happiness is a very complicated and interconnected issue that is, after all, temporary. Furthermore, the extent and effect of our sense of social belonging and nurture from those around us is something that is incredibly difficult to accurately measure. One thing that I do draw from these observations is that something other than money, development, security, or even free time is what causes these higher Happiness Index scores in the region of Central America.

My guess would be that people’s overall positivity and outlook on life are related to the historical culture of that region. After visiting Latin America myself, I did notice an overall positive outward energy from many people in the streets. Sometimes it feels as though you can feel this vibrance in the music, the clothing, the food, and even the sense of community. Of course this is purely speculation, but when you omit open positivity for all else to see, it is more likely that it will be absorbed by those within your community. Perspective can be a wonderful quality when evaluating your own life, even if things don’t seem great and money might be hard to come by, there may still be plenty of reasons to find some delight.