Are you a resident of the United States who is feeling just a little bit less satisfied with your life than you used to be? If so, you are apparently not alone, at least according to a new international happiness survey. In this evaluation, America’s ranking dropped a few notches from 2013 to 2014, while several Central American countries took top spots.

The annual survey, which was conducted by Gallup-Healthways, found that the U.S.–which did not make the top 10 either year–took somewhat of a dip in the compilation of world happiness rankings.¹ Rettner, Rachael. “U.S. falls in world happiness rankings.” CBS News. 25 June 2015. Accessed 1 July 2015. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-falls-in-world-happiness-rankings/ The list included 145 nations around the world and the subjects were more than 146,000 adults.

The participants answered questions about their feelings of well-being. There were five categories they were asked to consider: their sense of purpose, relationships with others, financial circumstances, connection to community, and physical health. Their responses were then assessed as “thriving,” “struggling,” or “suffering” in each of these five areas. The U.S., which was ranked at #12 in the 2013 survey, fell to #23 in 2014, indicating a lower overall level of satisfaction among residents.

So which country was at the top of the list? The number one spot for 2014 went to Panama, with 53 percent of its residents reportedly thriving in at least three of the aspects of well-being as defined by the researchers. Several other Latin American nations made the top 10 as well. The list, in order, included Costa Rica (47.6 percent thriving in three or more aspects), Puerto Rico (45.8 percent), Switzerland (39.4 percent), Belize (38.9 percent), Chile (38.7 percent), Denmark (37.0 percent), Guatemala (36.3 percent), Austria (35.6 percent), and Mexico (35.6 percent).

Panama might have achieved its top ranking in part because its economy was growing in 2014, improving many people’s financial security, and it has a politically stable government. In fact, in 2011, U.S. News & World Report called Panama the world’s best retirement haven, based on a number of attributes including the sunny climate, reasonable cost-of-living, and abundance of good, affordable health care.² Peddicord, Kathleen. “10 Reasons to Retire in Panama.” U.S. News & World Report. 24 January 2011. Accessed 2 July 2015. http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/on-retirement/2011/01/24/10-reasons-to-retire-in-panama And the overall prevalence of Central and South American countries might also be influenced culturally, by a tendency to focus on more positive emotions. Every single country in the top 10 of a 2014 Gallup Positive Experience Index was Latin American.³ Clifton, Jon. “Mood of the World Upbeat on International Happiness Day.” Gallup. 19 March 2015. Accessed 2 July 2015. http://www.gallup.com/poll/182009/mood-world-upbeat-international-happiness-day.aspx

At the other end of the spectrum was war-torn Afghanistan, with a total of zero percent of its residents considered to be thriving in at least three areas of well-being. Several of the other countries ranking in the bottom 10 are impoverished nations or those with a lot of political upheaval, such as Tunisia, Ivory Coast, and Haiti. Then again, it probably should be noted that both Guatemala and Belize are among the top five countries for murder rates,⁴ CNN Staff. “Which countries have the world’s highest murder rates? Honduras tops the list.” CNN April 11, 2014. (Accessed 1 Jul 2015.) http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/10/world/un-world-murder-rates/index.html and Puerto Rico has a debt load bigger than Greece–so maybe, for some people, happiness depends upon a “What me worry” attitude.⁵ Editorial Board. “Puerto Rico, America’s Greece.” Washington Post June 30, 2015. (Accessed 1 Jul 2015.) http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/balancing-reform-and-relief-in-puerto-rico/2015/06/30/bc9f435e-1f51-11e5-aeb9-a411a84c9d55_story.html

Of course, we do have to keep in mind that with seven billion people in the world, this research only collected opinions from 145,000 of them. While that’s a substantial number, it is just a tiny fraction of the total human population. As for why the happiness levels in the U.S. declined, we also must consider the scope of the change. It was caused by a decrease of only three percent overall. In 2013, 33 percent of American residents were listed as thriving in at least three aspects of well-being, versus 30 percent in 2014. Due to the way the survey was set up, that may just mean a slight drop-off in one area of their lives and not a major downturn all over. Yet even that small change was significant enough to precipitate a downward bump in the rankings.

It’s also worth noting that this is not the only happiness ranking. Each year, the World Happiness Report also lists countries in order of happiness.⁶ “WORLD HAPPINESS REPORT 2015.” Sustainable Development Solutions Network. April 23, 2015.  http://worldhappiness.report/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/04/WHR15-Apr29-update.pdf And on their list, the US ranks 15th, one behind Mexico, and Panama drops to 25th. In the end, it would seem that ranking happiness is a bit subjective–meaning you might want to take any such rankings with a grain of salt.

The more important factor to take away from this survey, though, may be the reminder of how important it is to have a positive outlook and a feeling of general well-being and satisfaction with our lives in general. Individuals who have a higher level of well-being are in better health, remain more productive, and can face challenges with greater resiliency. You can enjoy a greater sense of well-being by taking care of yourself through exercise, eating nutritiously, and approaching life in a healthy way. And don’t forget to surround yourself with positive people–since happiness can be contagious.