Quick Answer
Paraguay ranks #2 globally on positive affect in the 2026 World Happiness Report, behind only Guatemala. On daily positive emotions — joy, laughter, and enjoyment — Paraguay scores higher than Costa Rica (#7), Panama (#4), Mexico (#6), Colombia (#16), and all major European and Anglosphere source countries.
What the Human Warmth Index Measures
The World Happiness Report 2026 asks people a simple question: how often do you experience joy, fun, and laughter in a typical day? The answer is called positive affect — and Paraguay ranks #2 in the world on it, behind only Guatemala.
The Human Warmth Index combines the four WHR 2026 factors most directly related to daily social and emotional experience:
- Positive affect (#2 globally) — daily joy and laughter
- Youth happiness (#17 globally) — life satisfaction among people under 25
- Freedom to make life choices (#27 globally) — sense of autonomy
- Social support (#28 globally) — having someone to count on
Together, these place Paraguay at #2 on the Human Warmth Index composite — behind only Costa Rica, and ahead of every European and Anglosphere country in the comparison.
We deliberately exclude overall happiness (Life Evaluation), generosity, and healthy life expectancy from the index. Overall happiness is dominated by GDP per capita and life expectancy, which measure material conditions rather than daily emotional life. Generosity measures charitable giving, not warmth. The result is an index focused on what daily life actually feels like — not how wealthy a country is.
What Paraguay's Warmth Looks Like in Practice
Positive affect is measured by asking people a simple question: how often did you experience joy, fun, or laughter yesterday? It captures the texture of daily life, not the headline assessment of how satisfied someone is with their life as a whole. Paraguay's #2 global ranking on this measure means its residents report more frequent daily positive emotions than almost any other country in the world. Combined with strong social support (#28) and youth happiness (#17), this creates a specific picture: daily life feels good, families are stable and connected, young people are optimistic, and the trajectory is positive. This is what the Human Warmth Index is trying to capture: not whether Paraguay is wealthy or well-governed, but what it actually feels like to live there day to day.
Positive Affect: Paraguay vs. The World
Paraguay ranks #2 globally on positive affect in WHR 2026 — behind only Guatemala, ahead of all other countries measured.
Source: BCP, BPM6 asset/liability methodology
Source: World Happiness Report 2026, Gallup World Poll 2023–2025 average. Higher score = more daily positive emotions.
The Four Components
#2
Global rank on positive affect
Paraguay's score of 0.838 means its residents report experiencing joy, laughter, and enjoyment more often than almost any other country surveyed — scoring higher than Costa Rica (#7, 0.808), Panama (#4, 0.828), Mexico (#6, 0.814), and every major European country including Denmark (#14, 0.783).
#17
Global rank for people under 25
Paraguay's young people report higher life satisfaction than Germany, Australia, and Norway.
#27
Global rank on freedom
Paraguay scores higher on personal freedom than Canada (#58, 0.842), the UK (#57, 0.851), and Japan (#83, 0.794). It ranks just ahead of Switzerland (#28, 0.898) and New Zealand (#29, 0.897).
#28
Global rank on having someone to count on
Paraguay scores higher on social support than the United States (#33, 0.906), Argentina (#32, 0.906), and Costa Rica (#37, 0.894) — tied with Malta at the global top 30.
Full Comparison Table
The table below shows all 14 comparison countries ranked by their Human Warmth Index composite score. Click column headers to sort, or search to filter.
| Country | PA Rank | PA Score | Youth Rank | Freedom Rank | Social Support Rank | Composite Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Rica | 7 | 0.808 | 2 | 8 | 37 | 0.9041 |
| Paraguay (Paraguay) | 2 | 0.838 | 17 | 27 | 28 | 0.8146 |
| Panama | 4 | 0.828 | 13 | 52 | 39 | 0.7464 |
| Uruguay | 28 | 0.750 | 26 | 23 | 24 | 0.6969 |
| Mexico | 6 | 0.814 | 14 | 35 | 63 | 0.6777 |
| Argentina | 34 | 0.740 | 21 | 53 | 32 | 0.6135 |
| Nicaragua | 15 | 0.781 | 41 | 33 | 64 | 0.5550 |
| Guatemala | 1 | 0.848 | 30 | 30 | 91 | 0.5536 |
| Germany | 66 | 0.690 | 32 | 59 | 35 | 0.4874 |
| Brazil | 61 | 0.699 | 36 | 56 | 59 | 0.4435 |
| Colombia | 16 | 0.777 | 67 | 71 | 62 | 0.4237 |
| Portugal | 90 | 0.651 | 68 | 39 | 44 | 0.3904 |
| United States | 37 | 0.735 | 60 | 115 | 33 | 0.3800 |
| Spain | 83 | 0.662 | 74 | 91 | 22 | 0.3268 |
Source: World Happiness Report 2026. Composite scores are our own calculation using min-max normalization.
Showing 14 of 14 countries
Paraguay Is Getting Better for the Next Generation
#17
Global rank
(+1.139 improvement)
Paraguay ranks #17 globally on youth happiness improvement — measuring how much life satisfaction among people under 25 has changed from 2006–2010 to 2023–2025. With a recorded improvement of +1.139 points, Paraguay is getting better for its young people. Many wealthy countries show static or declining youth happiness over the same period. For families considering relocation, this trend matters: it suggests Paraguay is not just good today, it is improving for the people who will live there longest.
Methodology
Source Files And Downloads
All data comes from the World Happiness Report 2026. The Human Warmth Index composite is our own calculation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is positive affect?
Positive affect is the average frequency of daily positive emotions — joy, fun, and laughter — reported by respondents in the Gallup World Poll. Unlike overall happiness, which asks people to evaluate their life as a whole, positive affect captures what a typical day actually feels like. The WHR 2026 found Paraguay ranks #2 globally on this measure, behind only Guatemala.
Is Paraguay really #2 globally on happiness?
Paraguay is #2 globally on positive affect, which measures daily emotional experience. Paraguay ranks #57 globally on the broader Life Evaluation (overall happiness) score. These are different measures: positive affect reflects daily mood, while overall happiness reflects life circumstances including income and health. Paraguay scores unusually well on the former and unusually poorly on the latter.
Why does Paraguay rank #57 on overall happiness if it's #2 on positive affect?
Overall happiness in the WHR includes GDP per capita, life expectancy, and other material factors. Paraguay has a lower GDP per capita than wealthy countries, which pulls down its overall ranking. But on the questions about daily life — how often do you feel joy, do you have social support, do you feel free — Paraguay performs near the top of the world. The #57 rank describes Paraguay's economy and health system. The #2 positive affect rank describes what it actually feels like to live there.
Why doesn't the Human Warmth Index include overall happiness rank?
Because overall happiness conflates daily emotional experience with material prosperity. A country can have high GDP and low daily warmth, or low GDP and high daily warmth. Paraguay is an example of the latter. The Human Warmth Index focuses specifically on the social and emotional quality of daily life. This is exactly why the index exists — to surface what Paraguay does well rather than burying it under factors it cannot control.
How does Paraguay rank on the Human Warmth Index composite?
Paraguay ranks #2 on the Human Warmth Index composite, behind only Costa Rica (0.9041 vs 0.8146). The composite combines normalized scores for positive affect, youth happiness, freedom, and social support. Panama ranks #3, Uruguay #4, and Mexico #5. Every European and Anglosphere country in the comparison ranks below Paraguay.
How does Paraguay compare to Costa Rica on positive affect?
Paraguay ranks #2 on positive affect with a score of 0.838. Costa Rica ranks #7 with a score of 0.808. Paraguay scores higher on daily positive emotions. Both countries score well ahead of all European and Anglosphere source countries.
How does Paraguay compare to the US and UK on positive affect?
Paraguay ranks #2 globally on positive affect with a score of 0.838. The USA ranks #37 (0.735) and the UK ranks #56 (0.708). Paraguay scores significantly higher than both on daily positive emotions.
What does youth happiness #17 mean for families?
Youth happiness (#17 globally) means Paraguay's people under 25 report higher life satisfaction than those in Germany (#32), Australia (#37), and Norway (#31), among many other wealthy countries. Combined with the #17 ranking on youth happiness improvement, this suggests Paraguay is a place where the next generation is doing well and getting better.
Why is Paraguay excluded from the WHR overall happiness top tier?
Paraguay's overall happiness rank (#57) is held down by low GDP per capita and lower life expectancy — the material conditions measured in the broader Life Evaluation. The country's daily emotional experience, social connection, and youth optimism all rank near the top of the world. The Human Warmth Index was created specifically to surface these strengths: Paraguay ranks #2 on the composite, ahead of every European and Anglosphere country measured, because the index measures daily life rather than national wealth.
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Paraguay ranks #2 globally on daily positive emotions and #2 on the Human Warmth Index composite — ahead of every European and Anglosphere country in the comparison. Residents report frequent joy, strong social connection, and improving prospects for young people. The data suggests Paraguay doesn't just look good on paper. It feels good to live in.