Indonesia tops global ranking for smiling and laughter

Main points

• Indonesia leads the ranking at 92%
• Global smiling and laughter stand at 73%
• Türkiye records the lowest rate at 36%

Indonesia has the world's highest reported rate of daily smiling or laughter, while Turkey has the lowest, according to Gallup data showing wide differences in positive experiences across countries.

Gallup asked adults whether they had smiled or laughed a lot during the previous day. In Indonesia, 92% said yes, followed by Senegal at 91%. Laos and Panama were tied at 90%, while Guatemala recorded 89%.

At the other end, 36% of adults in Türkiye reported smiling or laughing a lot, followed by Lebanon at 42%, Kazakhstan at 47%, Northern Cyprus at 48% and North Macedonia at 49%.

Most people still smile or laugh each day

Despite the large differences between countries, smiling and laughter remain common globally. Gallup's 2024 data show 73% of adults worldwide said they had smiled or laughed a lot the previous day, unchanged from 2023 and close to levels recorded over much of the past two decades.

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Other positive experiences were also widespread. Some 88% said they had been treated with respect the previous day, 73% experienced enjoyment and 72% felt well-rested. Just over half, 52%, said they had learned or done something interesting.

The ranking should not be read as a list of the world's happiest or unhappiest countries. Gallup's question measures one specific experience, whether respondents smiled or laughed a lot on the previous day, rather than overall life satisfaction.

Culture can also influence the results. Gallup says people in some societies may be more comfortable openly expressing joy, while those in others may be more restrained. That means differences in reported smiling and laughter can reflect cultural norms as well as people's actual daily experiences.

Gallup's broader research is based on more than 145,000 interviews across 144 countries and areas, tracking positive and negative emotions including enjoyment, laughter, stress, anger, sadness and worry.

The findings nevertheless show a striking divide: in Indonesia and Senegal, more than nine in 10 respondents said they had smiled or laughed a lot the previous day, compared with little more than one in three in Turkey.