It seems that Colombia, rather than Finland, might be the happiest country in the world, according to recent findings about emotional well-being.

The Nordic countries have once again claimed the top spots. In the 2018 World Happiness Report, Finland was crowned the 'Happiest Country in the World,' marking five victories in the past six years, with Switzerland briefly taking the crown in 2015. Finland was followed by Norway in second place, reigning champion from last year, and then Denmark and Iceland.

With their consistent dominance in the happiness rankings, the Nordic nations have the world curious: Is the secret to true happiness hidden in traditions like enjoying cured fish and indulging in the art of creative wood-stacking?

Upon examining the methodology of the World Happiness Report more closely, an intriguing observation arises. Depending on the weight given to certain survey questions, Finland and Denmark may not be the happiest nations after all. Instead, countries like Colombia, El Salvador, and other relatively impoverished Latin American nations could be the true frontrunners.

So, how could Colombia, currently ranked 37th in this year's World Happiness Report, be the actual happiness champion? The explanation lies in the fact that happiness can be measured in multiple ways.

The World Happiness Report sources its data from the Gallup World Poll, a vast survey encompassing 160 countries and 140 languages, covering everything from government corruption to job security and LGBTQ rights. The most recent report spans data from 2015 to 2017. The Gallup World Poll includes a section on personal well-being, featuring 12 questions designed to gather two distinct kinds of insights into happiness.

Jon Clifton, a global managing partner at Gallup, recalls the origins of the Gallup World Poll, which began in 2005. The survey design team consulted with renowned experts such as Nobel Prize winners Daniel Kahneman, a psychologist, and economist Angus Deaton. Together, they decided to include two types of happiness questions: one focusing on overall life satisfaction, rated from zero to 10, and another assessing daily emotional experiences.

"Our approach was deliberate," says Clifton. "The definition of well-being, or what constitutes a fulfilling life, revolves around how people live their lives and how they perceive their lives. Thus, we needed distinct metrics to capture both aspects."

The life evaluation question, often referred to as 'Cantril's Ladder,' is framed like this: 'Imagine a ladder with steps numbered from 0 at the bottom to 10 at the top. The top represents the best life you could have, while the bottom represents the worst. Where would you say you stand on this ladder right now?'

An interesting pattern emerges with this question: people's answers correlate closely with their income. The more money someone has, the more likely they are to rate their life as an eight or nine on the ladder. Clifton believes this is because the question essentially asks, 'Are you satisfied with your life?'

'When we ask people to consider their life as a whole, they're reflecting on basic needs—whether they've met or surpassed those needs,' says Clifton. 'Money is often the easiest way to achieve that.'

The World Happiness Report, which consistently ranks affluent Nordic nations as the happiest, mainly relies on people's answers to the ladder question. In addition to higher incomes, Nordic countries excel in other well-being factors like freedom, trust in government, longevity, social support, and generosity.

But what about the second type of happiness question, which focuses on daily emotions and experiences? Alongside the ladder question, the Gallup World Poll asks a series of 'yesterday' questions, inquiring about specific positive and negative emotions people felt the day before, such as smiling, laughter, respect, enjoyment, worry, sadness, and anger.

If happiness is measured by the frequency of positive daily experiences and emotions, then some unexpected countries rise to the top, based on Gallup's 2017 data: Colombia, El Salvador, and Guatemala. Of the top 10 nations in Gallup's 'positive experience index,' seven are from Latin America, with Iceland being the only Nordic country in the rankings at No. 8.

So, the question remains: which is the more accurate measure of happiness? Is it the ladder question, which favors Nordic countries, or the experience questions, which highlight Latin American nations and are used in Gallup's own Global Emotions Report?

Clifton from Gallup believes both approaches are valuable. He views the ladder question as the best tool for policymakers seeking an overall assessment of a country's state, whether its citizens are thriving or struggling. In this regard, the World Happiness Report does capture the right picture.

The issue with the World Happiness Report, according to Clifton, is that it’s likely measuring well-being rather than true happiness. To pinpoint the emotional intricacies of happiness, Clifton prefers the 'yesterday' responses. However, it's probably too late to rename the report the World Well-Being Report—and honestly, who would want to? The original title is far catchier.

'The World Happiness Report is one of the most, if not the most, watched indexes in the world,' says Clifton. 'Ask anyone on the street who the happiest country is, and they'll likely say Finland or Norway, thanks to a headline they saw in The Economist.'

The World Happiness Report acknowledges the Latin American happiness paradox. The 2018 edition includes a dedicated section on happiness in Latin America, noting that the region offers a 'reasonable' provision of public goods along with adequate health and education services. Strong social ties and close family bonds contribute significantly to emotional happiness. However, the high levels of crime, corruption, and poverty in many Latin American countries negatively impact their overall 'well-being' score.