Why do some Latin American countries flourish despite material constraints? Insights from the Global Flourishing Study

Abstract

The Latin American region faces ongoing challenges related to disease burden, healthcare inequalities, and constraints on quality of life.1 Despite these structural barriers, countries in this region often score higher on subjective indicators of well-being (e.g., life evaluation) than those in more socioeconomically developed regions (e.g., Greece, Japan, Portugal).2 This pattern has been described as the well-being paradox in Latin America, whereby subjective experiences of well-being can transcend financial and material constraints.