UK Ranks Among Lowest for Human Flourishing in Global Wellbeing Study
A major international survey, the Global Flourishing Study, has ranked the UK 20th out of 22 countries in terms of “human flourishing,” raising concerns about the nation’s wellbeing, especially among young people, The Guardian reported.
The study, conducted over five years since 2022, surveyed over 200,000 participants annually across six continents, assessing factors including happiness, health, financial security, relationships, and meaning in life.
Harvard epidemiologist Prof. Tyler VanderWeele highlighted surprising country rankings, with Indonesia, Israel, the Philippines, and Mexico topping the list, while the UK, Turkey, and Japan occupied the bottom three spots. This contrasts with the World Happiness Report, where the UK ranks in the top quarter. The discrepancy may stem from wealthier countries scoring higher on financial security but lower on relationships and life meaning—areas where the UK scored poorly.
The study also found that younger people, particularly those aged 18-24 in the UK, US, and Australia, are flourishing the least, showing markedly lower life satisfaction compared to older age groups. Psychologist Dr. Tim Lomas noted this troubling trend among UK youth.
Critics like Prof. Kate Pickett caution that self-reported wellbeing may not align with objective health measures. She suggested pandemic-related disruptions might have severely impacted young people’s flourishing. The study underscores the need to improve early life conditions, secure livelihoods, and reduce inequality to enhance wellbeing.
