UK ranks among the lowest in global human flourishing index, study finds
LONDON, April 30: Britain ranks near the bottom globally for 'human flourishing,' according to a major international study that raises concerns about national well-being — particularly among younger generations.
The Global Flourishing Study, which surveyed people in 22 countries across six continents, placed the UK 20th based on a composite score assessing happiness, health, financial security, personal relationships, and sense of purpose. Only Turkey and Japan ranked lower.
Launched in 2022, the five-year research project draws on nationally representative samples and aims to survey more than 200,000 people annually. It seeks to create a comprehensive picture of what supports or hinders well-being worldwide.
The initial findings, published in Nature Mental Health, are based on 12 core questions on flourishing, supplemented by detailed inquiries into participants' life histories, including childhood, education, family relationships, religious practice, and marital status. Researchers then developed a score from one to 10 to reflect each nation's overall level of flourishing.
'One of the big surprises from the data is the country rankings,' said Professor Tyler VanderWeele, an epidemiologist at Harvard University who helped lead the study. Indonesia topped the list, followed by Israel, the Philippines, and Mexico.
These results diverge significantly from the widely cited World Happiness Report, which often ranks Nordic countries highest and places the UK in the top quarter of more than 100 nations. VanderWeele suggested the difference may stem from richer countries scoring high on financial metrics but lower on social connection and purpose. Notably, the study found that people in high-GDP countries were less likely to report a strong sense of meaning in life.
The survey also examined religion's role in well-being and found that attending religious services during childhood was associated with higher flourishing in adulthood. However, researchers cautioned that this finding was correlational, not causal. The study was co-funded by the John Templeton Foundation, which supports research at the intersection of science and religion.
One of the more concerning findings was the lower flourishing levels reported by young people in the UK, the US, and Australia. This contradicts earlier research showing a U-shaped well-being curve, where younger and older adults typically report higher life satisfaction than those in middle age.
In the UK, those aged 18 to 24 reported significantly lower life satisfaction than older groups, including those over 80, said Dr. Tim Lomas, a psychologist involved in the research. 'The very youngest in the UK do seem to be particularly struggling,' he noted.
Researchers hope that as the dataset grows over the coming years, it will reveal how major global events influence wellbeing. VanderWeele added that individuals can use the 12-question framework to self-assess their flourishing. 'I try to do this at least quarterly,' he said. 'Over time, you can track what's improving, what's stable, and what's declining.'
However, some experts urged caution in interpreting the results. Professor Kate Pickett, an epidemiologist at the University of York, noted that self-reported well-being does not always align with objective health indicators. For example, Japan — ranked last in the study — boasts the highest life expectancy and lowest infant mortality rate among the 22 countries surveyed.
Pickett also highlighted a potential pandemic-related impact on the findings. 'I'm very surprised there's no mention of the COVID-19 pandemic,' she said. 'Young people would have experienced significant disruptions—lockdowns, anxiety, interruptions to education and social life—at a particularly sensitive stage, which could have long-term effects on their ability to flourish.'
She added that existing research already underscores the importance of investing in early childhood, securing livelihoods, focusing on prevention, and reducing economic inequality as essential steps to promote wellbeing.
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