Latest news with #flourishing
News24
26-06-2025
- Health
- News24
Which African countries are flourishing? Scientists have a new way of measuring well-being
What does it mean to live a good life? Psychologists and social scientists have been focusing on a new idea called flourishing – a sense of well-being that goes beyond just happiness or success. It's about your whole life being good, including how you interact with other people and your community. So then, how do Africans fare when it comes to flourishing? Victor Counted is a psychological scientist whose research across 40 African countries offers a data-rich rethinking of flourishing on the continent. His findings challenge the dominant narrative that Africa is 'lagging behind' in development by showing a more nuanced picture of what it means to live a good life. The Conversation asked him more. What is flourishing? Flourishing is more than economic growth or individual happiness. It's a multidimensional state of being that reflects how people feel about their lives and how well their lives are actually going. So, it also measures people's values within their community. The idea of well-being often carries a Eurocentric emphasis on the individual – personal satisfaction, autonomy, achievement. Flourishing accounts for how whole a person is in relation to their environment. It includes the social, spiritual and ecological contexts in which one lives. So, it's not just about how one feels, but how one lives – fully, meaningfully and in a satisfying relationship with the world around us. What's the Global Flourishing Study? The Global Flourishing Study tries to measure global patterns of human flourishing. It's an ongoing five-year longitudinal study in over 200 000 participants across 22 countries. I was one of the team of global scholars brought together to examine the trends on what it means to live well across cultures and life circumstances. The study identifies six key dimensions of flourishing: Happiness and life satisfaction Mental and physical health Meaning and purpose Character and virtue Close social relationships Financial and material stability Participants rate how they're doing in each of these areas on a scale from 0 to 10. Further questions capture experiences related to trust, loneliness, hope, resilience, and other related well-being variables. Comparison of flourishing scores in five African countries highlights variations in well-being with and without financial indicators. CC BY-ND Of the 22 nations, five were African: Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and Egypt. While these countries didn't top the global rankings (Indonesia and Mexico did), Nigeria, Kenya and Egypt, all reported relatively high flourishing scores, especially when well-being was considered apart from financial status. Courtesy Victor Counted Nigeria, for example, ranked 5th globally in flourishing scores that excluded financial indicators – ahead of many wealthier nations. Nigerians indicated strengths in social relationships, character and virtues (like forgiveness or helping others). However, potential areas of growth included financial well-being, housing, ethnic discrimination, and education. Overall, this suggests that while material resources matter, they're not the only thing that determines well-being. Kenya ranked 7th, Egypt 10th, Tanzania 11th and South Africa 13th. Each showed unique strengths in areas like meaning, social connection or mental health. You did a separate study on flourishing in Africa. What did you find? In a 2024 study we analysed data from the Gallup World Poll (2020–2022) to explore 38 indicators of well-being across 40 African countries. This study offered a more detailed and culture-sensitive picture of how Africans experience and prioritise flourishing. The dimensions explored were derived from both local and universal sources, allowing for regionally relevant insights. READ | 'I learned very late': Gayton McKenzie on fitness, food and mental health We found that African populations often score high in meaning, character and social relationships – despite economic hardship. This offers an important corrective to Western assumptions about well-being. Some of our key findings were: There is significant diversity between and within African countries. Mauritius consistently ranked highest in life evaluations (overall satisfaction with their lives), while countries like Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe scored lowest. East African countries such as Rwanda and Ethiopia showed strong performance in social well-being indicators (like feeling respected or learning new things daily) even when economic indicators were low. Countries in West Africa, such as Senegal and Ghana, scored high in emotional well-being, with many people reporting positive daily emotions like enjoyment and laughter. Southern African nations, despite challenges like income inequality, displayed resilience through strong community ties and cultural practices rooted in the philosophy of ubuntu. The results reinforced that flourishing in Africa cannot only be reduced to gross domestic product (GDP) per capita (a measure of the average economic output per person in a country) – nor to Western norms of success. What can African countries focus on to flourish? In my view, the path to greater flourishing lies in embracing local knowledge and investing in culturally relevant development priorities. Instead of following Western pathways—centred on individual advancement —Africa can model alternative flourishing pathways that reflect what matters most to African people. 1. Prioritise local knowledge systems African ideas about a connected society – like ubuntu (southern Africa), ujamaa (east Africa), teranga or wazobia (west Africa), and al-musawat wal tarahum (north Africa) teach people to care for each other and live in peace. These values help people live meaningful lives and can inform leadership and legislation. 2. Redefine development metrics Western development models focus on individual achievement, economic output and material consumption. GDP per capita fails to capture the everyday realities and aspirations of African communities. We should also measure things like how happy people are, how hopeful they feel about the future, how strong and resilient their communities are, and how clean, safe and dignifying their living environments are. This is not a new idea – for years development scholars have called for a shift away from narrow economic indicators toward a focus on human dignity, agency, and the real opportunities people have to pursue the lives they value. What's new is the growing availability of data and the momentum to take these alternative metrics seriously in shaping national policies and priorities. 3. Invest in education for character development Quality education is essential to unlocking the continent's potential to flourish. But Africa needs more than just academic skills and workforce readiness – it needs a strategy for intentional development of values and habits that shape how a person thinks, feels, and acts with integrity. Part of the problem lies in how the humanities – fields like history, literature, philosophy, and religious studies – are often undervalued or underfunded in education systems. But it is precisely these disciplines that nurture moral imagination, critical reflection, and civic responsibility. We need educational models that form not just workers, but whole persons – people who can think ethically, act responsibly, and lead with character in their communities. What does Africa offer the world in terms of flourishing? Africa is not waiting to be saved. Across the continent, people are building communities of care, cultivating joy amid hardship, and passing on values of unity, faith, and compassion. This is what development looks like when rooted in human dignity. Africa's flourishing goals offer an alternative vision for development—one that starts with what Africa already has, not what it lacks. These are locally emic aspirations for well-being shaped by Africa's indigenous knowledge systems, cultural values, and religious/spiritual traditions. Pursuing these goals means prioritising wholeness over wealth, community overconsumption, and resilience over the rescue. The continent has so much to offer the world: wisdom, strong community values, and ways of staying resilient and living fully even in hard times. However, many of these local insights are missing in the global science of well-being.
South China Morning Post
16-06-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
To flourish, Hong Kong needs higher priorities than wealth accumulation
Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@ or filling in this Google form . Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification Are Hong Kong residents really flourishing? Flourishing is 'a state of affairs in which all aspects of your life are relatively good', according to the scientists behind the recent Global Flourishing Study ('Indonesia is the world's 'most-flourishing' country. What does that mean?', May 10 ). This five-year study of 207,000 people in 23 countries and territories found Hong Kong doing well on financial stability but ranking lower overall, which presents the question: has the city paid a human price for economic progress? The results of the study challenge the simplistic equating of gross domestic product with flourishing and highlight the significance of the less tangible dimensions of life: happiness, mental health, meaning and purpose, character and virtue, as well as close social bonds. Two Asian neighbours, Indonesia and the Philippines, provide a contrast to Hong Kong. These economies are less advanced, but have higher levels of human flourishing, rooted in their strong communal values and ties to their heritage. Behaviours like Indonesia's gotong royong (mutual assistance) and the Philippines' bayanihan (communal unity) are noteworthy. India, with far lower per capita income, also has a higher overall flourishing score than Hong Kong.
RNZ News
14-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- RNZ News
What makes a flourishing life?
Tyler VanderWeele. Photo: Supplied / Tyler VanderWeele A question everyone must ask themselves at some point: what does a life well lived look like? Tyler J. VanderWeele is co-director of the five-year Global Flourishing Study of about 200,000 people from more than 20 countries spanning every continent - the largest and most conclusive study of this kind. So how do a range of variables, including economic, religious and psychological affect well-being and happiness, and how are they measured to give a flourishing score? Tyler shares his research with Susie.
Trade Arabia
20-05-2025
- Trade Arabia
Amaala unveils ‘A Story of Flourishing' – a new look at luxury wellness
Amaala, the luxury wellness destination on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast, has unveiled 'A Story of Flourishing', an expression of its vision to redefine what it means to live well in today's world. Introduced during the second edition of the Islamic Art Biennale in Jeddah, the paper offers a renewed perspective on wellbeing — one that looks beyond the individual to embrace deeper connections with place, purpose, and the natural world. Set within one of the world's most pristine natural environments, destination Amaala brings this philosophy to life. Shaped by the rhythms of the Red Sea and Saudi cultural heritage, it offers a sanctuary for stillness, reflection, and reconnection in a fast-moving world. The destination as a movement Opening this year, Amaala is a new blueprint for purposeful travel. Designed to harmonise with the region's protected marine and desert landscapes, the destination invites guests into a layered experience that blends healing, heritage, and adventure across land and sea. Its immersive ecosystem will offer guests access to wellness modalities ranging from advanced longevity therapies and cryotherapy to desert meditation, sound healing, and artistic expression. 'We believe flourishing goes beyond wellness — it's about creating the conditions for life to expand, for people and ecosystems to grow in harmony,' says Lindsay Madden Nadeau, Senior Director of Wellness Strategy at Amaala. 'With A Story of Flourishing, we're inviting the world to rediscover the joy of intentional living—rooted in nature, guided by culture, and shaped by community.' Inspired by nature, rooted in culture From the mineral-rich Red Sea waters to the meditative vastness of the desert, Amaala's surroundings are inherently healing. Across coves, coral reefs, and ancient canyons, the natural rhythms of the land invite reflection, restoration, and reconnection. Amaala's design draws deeply on Saudi Arabia's timeless traditions of retreat, storytelling, and renewal—blending these cultural practices with a forward-looking vision of modern luxury. Every experience is crafted to honour the natural world and the wisdom of those who have lived in harmony with it for generations, creating a profound sense of place where past and future meet. An invitation to flourish Amaala is a place where the natural world shapes every experience. Powered entirely by renewable energy and committed to a 30% net conservation benefit by 2040, the destination is designed not only to preserve its surroundings—but to actively enrich them. Here, learning from the land and sea becomes part of the journey, offering guests the rare chance to connect with something lasting. Guests can explore the vibrant underwater world at Corallium, a pioneering marine life institute; reconnect with nature along the Wellness Route, a thoughtfully designed trail linking resorts with spaces for contemplation and discovery; and sail from the elegant Amaala Yacht Club, set to become a new icon on the Red Sea. A curated collection of world-leading hospitality and wellness brands—including Jayasom, Rosewood, Six Senses, Equinox, Four Seasons, The Ritz-Carlton, Clinique La Prairie, and Nammos — will bring Amaala's vision of flourishing to life, offering extraordinary journeys in healing, exploration, and renewal. Celebrating the Art of Flourishing at the Biennale Amaala's unveiling of 'A Story of Flourishing' forms part of its official partnership with the Islamic Art Biennale, where it is hosting a dynamic programme of workshops and talks exploring art, architecture, and wellbeing.
South China Morning Post
10-05-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Indonesia is the world's ‘most-flourishing' country. What does that mean?
Indonesia has been ranked as the world's 'most-flourishing' country, according to a first-ever study measuring such an indicator, based on factors such as high life satisfaction, strong social relations and religious participation. Advertisement The Global Flourishing Study (GFS), written by researchers in Harvard, Baylor University and Gallup, asked more than 200,000 respondents in 23 countries and territories about five aspects of their life: happiness and life satisfaction, mental and physical health, meaning and purpose, character and virtue, and close social relationships. Conducted between 2022 and 24, it aims to expand the scope of the annual World Happiness Report, which often features Nordic nations as the world's happiest countries. But that barometer does not capture the 'fullness of well-being', the scientists behind GFS – Byron Johnson, Tyler J. VanderWeele and Brendan Case – wrote in an op-ed in The New York Times on April 30. 'These rankings reinforce a key supposition of our globalised political and economic order: poor countries are unhappy because they are poor, and wealth is a critical precondition for individual and societal flourishing,' the scientists wrote. 'The three of us conceive of happiness, or flourishing, more broadly: as a state of affairs in which all aspects of your life are relatively good, including the social environments in which you live.' Advertisement
