People in rich countries are less 'fulfilled' than those in less developed nations, according to a major study

Money really doesn't seem to buy happiness. A survey published this Wednesday, April 30, by scientists from Harvard and Baylor Universities in the United States states that developed countries are not those whose inhabitants describe themselves as the most "fulfilled." The authors are particularly concerned about the poor results recorded regarding the mental health of young people .

To reach these conclusions, the researchers launched a vast survey on "human flourishing," interviewing more than 200,000 people in 22 countries across six continents, including Tanzania, the Philippines, Brazil, Germany, and the United States, but not France. For five years, the participants answered around 100 questions each year to assess their fulfillment in the areas of health, financial security, and social relationships. They also asked questions about more subjective aspects such as their personality, their behavior in society, and their sense that their lives have meaning and value.

The results brought some "big surprises," one of the program's co-founders, Tyler VanderWeele, an epidemiologist and biostatistician at Harvard, said at a press conference. Among the 22 countries studied, Indonesia performed best, followed by Israel, the Philippines, and Mexico. Japan came in last, and Sweden, which generally ranks highly in similar studies like the UN's annual happiness report , only came in mid-table.

"The richest and most developed countries perform better on things like financial security and life satisfaction," which is what the UN report focuses on, explains Tyler VanderWeele. But they perform "worse" on aspects related to meaning in life, social relationships, and altruistic behavior, he adds, noting a "negative relationship between GDP and meaning in life."

While cross-country comparisons should be made with caution, due, for example, to cultural differences that may influence responses, "this pattern is particularly striking. " It "raises important questions" about how "we conduct development and economic policies," said Brendan Case, the program's research director at Harvard.

Another "worrying" finding from the study is that "younger people" report "the lowest level of fulfillment," particularly in Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Germany, Sweden, the United States, and the United Kingdom, VanderWeele said. Most previous work on well-being and age suggested a U-shaped curve, with younger and older individuals reporting greater happiness than middle-aged people, who are typically "facing the challenge of raising young children, caring for elderly parents, and facing career challenges."

"But that's changing," says the program's co-founder, citing as potential explanations the "mental health crisis" among young people, the role of social media, fewer economic opportunities, or the Covid-19 pandemic, which has "particularly affected them at a crucial time for building connections." "If we truly want to promote flourishing within society, across generations and over time, we need to invest much more deeply in the well-being of young people," he believes.

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Other findings confirm those of previous studies, such as the fact that married or more educated people generally report being more fulfilled. With notable exceptions, such as in Tanzania and India, where single people are happier. Or in Australia and Hong Kong, where fulfillment decreases with education level.

Variations that scientists will analyze with researchers "working or originating" from each of the countries studied, to "understand the dynamics specific to each place" and learn from these differences, underlines Tim Lomas, a psychology researcher at Harvard.