A Collaborative Inquiry into Human Well-Being

A Global Journey to Understand What It Means to Flourish

The Global Flourishing Study unites scholars and institutions worldwide to explore what it means to flourish. This interdisciplinary initiative examines well-being across cultures and life experiences, providing insights into the factors that drive human flourishing. Through collaboration, the study aims to inform policies and practices that promote global well-being.

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Tracking Flourishing Across Continents

This initiative will survey approximately 200,000 individuals across 20+ countries spanning every continent, including Argentina, Brazil, China, Egypt, Germany, India, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, South Africa, Sweden, the UK, and the US. Our researchers will ensure representative population sampling and collect data annually from the same participants to track changes over time.

The Questions That Guide Us

Our research explores what it truly means to flourish by asking participants about the key areas that shape well-being—health, relationships, purpose, spirituality, and resilience. By gathering insights from diverse experiences, we aim to uncover how these factors contribute to flourishing across the globe.
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Happiness & Life Satisfaction

Overall, how satisfied are you with life as a whole these days? In general, how happy or unhappy do you usually feel?
  • How do different aspects of a child’s upbringing predict happiness in adulthood?
  • How does life satisfaction/life evaluation vary across different demographic categories such as age, gender, marital status, employment, religious service attendance, education, and immigration status?
  • How do different aspects of a child’s upbringing predict life satisfaction in adulthood?
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Mental & Physical Health

In general, how would you rate your physical health? How would you rate your overall mental health?
  • How do different aspects of a child’s upbringing predict self-rated physical health in adulthood?
  • How are mean levels of self-rated mental health ordered across different countries?
  • How are mean levels of self-rated physical health ordered across different countries?
  • How does self-rated physical health vary across different demographic categories such as age, gender, marital status, employment, religious service attendance, education, and immigration status?
  • How do different aspects of a child’s upbringing predict daily smoking, drinking, or exercise in adulthood?
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Meaning & Purpose

Overall, to what extent do you feel the things you do in your life are worthwhile? Do you understand your purpose in life?
  • How do different aspects of a child’s upbringing predict sense of purpose/meaning in adulthood?
  • How do mean levels of sense of purpose/meaning in life ordered across different countries vary?
  • How does a sense of purpose/meaning in life vary across different demographic categories such as age, gender, marital status, employment, religious service attendance, education, and immigration status?
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Character & Virtue

Do you act to promote good in all circumstances, even in difficult and challenging situations? Are you able to give up some happiness now for greater happiness later?
  • How are mean levels of an orientation to promote good ordered across different countries?
  • How do different aspects of a child’s upbringing predict an orientation to promote good in adulthood?
  • How do different aspects of a child’s upbringing predict charitable giving/helping?
  • How does the proportion endorsing (Y) to charitable giving/helping vary across different countries?
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Close Social Relationships

Are you content with your friendships and relationships? Are your relationships as satisfying as you want them to be?
  • How do different aspects of a child’s upbringing predict social relationship quality in adulthood?
  • How do mean levels of social support order across different countries?
  • How does the proportion endorsing (Y) to having an intimate friend vary across different countries?
  • How do levels of social support vary across different demographic categories such as age, gender, marital status, employment, education, and immigration status?
  • How do different aspects of a child’s upbringing predict social support and having an intimate friend in adulthood?
  • How do mean levels of social support order across different countries?
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Financial & Material Stability

How often do you worry about being able to meet normal monthly living expenses? How often do you worry about safety, food, or housing?
  • How do different aspects of a child’s upbringing predict Financial/Material Worry in adulthood?
  • How do different aspects of a child’s upbringing predict subjective financial well-being in adulthood?
  • How does subjective financial well-being vary across different demographic categories such as age, gender, marital status, employment, religious service attendance, education, and immigration status?
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Religion & Spirituality

Do you find strength or comfort in spirituality? Do you identify with an organized religion?

Meet Our Global 
Research Team

With backgrounds in psychology, sociology, economics, and more, our team combines their expertise to approach the study from multiple perspectives. Each member is committed to advancing our understanding of well-being and contributing to a global dialogue on what it means to live a fulfilling life.

Co-Directors

Byron Johnson
Byron R. Johnson
Baylor University, Institute for Studies of Religion/Sociology
Tyler VanderWeele
Tyler VanderWeele
Harvard University, Epidemiology / Biostatistics

Global Research Team

Piotr Bialowolski
Piotr T. Bialowolski
Kozminski University (Poland), Economics
Rebecca Bonhag
Rebecca Bonhag
Baylor University, Sociology
Thomas Breedlove
Thomas Breedlove
Baylor University, Theology
Matt Bradshaw
Matt Bradshaw
Baylor University, Sociology
Israel
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Pedro A. De La Rosa
University of Navarra / Harvard University, Epidemiology
Noémie Le Pertel
Noémie Le Pertel
Harvard University, Business
Dorota Maria  Weziak-Bialowolska
Dorota Maria Weziak-Bialowolska
Kozminski University (Poland), Economics/Sociology
Poland
Ying Chen
Ying Chen
Harvard University, Epidemiology
Hayami Koga
Hayami Koga
Harvard University, Epidemiology
Koichiro Shiba
Koichiro Shiba
Boston University, Epidemiology
Jennifer Wortham
Jennifer Wortham
Harvard University, Public Health
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Noah Padgett
Harvard University, Epidemiology
Victor Counted
Victor Counted
Regent University, Psychology
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Richard Cowden
Harvard University, Psychology
South Africa
Eric Kim
Eric Kim
University of British Columbia, Psychology
Tim Lomas
Tim Lomas
Harvard University, Psychology
Julia Nakamura
Julia Nakamura
University of British Columbia, Psychology
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Sakurako Okuzono
Harvard University, Epidemiology
Lucía Macchia
Lucía Macchia
University of London City, Psychology/Economics
James L.  Ritche-Dunham
James L. Ritche-Dunham
University of Texas-Austin / Harvard University , Business/Economics
Katelyn Long
Katelyn Long
Harvard University, Public Health
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Renae Wilkinson
Harvard University, Sociology
Blake Victor Kent
Blake Victor Kent
Westmont College, Sociology
Brendan Case
Brendan Case
Harvard University, Theology
Craig Gundersen
Craig Gundersen
Baylor University, Economics
Sung  Joon Jang
Sung Joon Jang
Baylor University, Sociology
Thomas Kidd
Thomas Kidd
Baylor University, History
Matthew Lee
Matthew T. Lee
Baylor University/ Harvard University , Sociology
George Yancey
George Yancey
Baylor University , Sociology
Jeff Levin
Jeff Levin
Baylor University, Epidemiology / Medical Humanities
John Ssozi
John Ssozi
Baylor University, Economics
Nikolitsa Grigoropoulou
Nikolitsa Grigoropoulou
University of Bremen (Germany), Sociology
Robert Woodberry
Robert Woodberry
Baylor University, Sociology
Laura Upenieks
Laura Upenieks
Baylor University , Sociology
Kathryn A. Johnson A. Johnson
Kathryn A. Johnson A. Johnson
Arizona State University, Psychology
Christos Makridis
Christos Makridis
Stanford U. / Arizona State U. / University of Nicosia, Economics
W. Bradford Wilcox
W. Bradford Wilcox
University of Virginia, Sociology
Wendy Wang
Wendy Wang
Institute for Family Studies, Sociology
Zhuo  Job Chen
Zhuo Job Chen
University of North Carolina- Charlotte, Nursing / Psychology
Sunsuke (Shun) Managi
Sunsuke (Shun) Managi
Kyushu University, Economics
Young-Il Kim
Young-Il Kim
George Fox University, Sociology
Cristina Gibson
Cristina Gibson
Pepperdine University, Psychology/Organizational Studies
Alan Piper
Alan Piper
Leeds University, Economics
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Jessica Benfer
Meros Center, Health Services and Policy
Nicholas  Norman-Krause
Nicholas Norman-Krause
Belmont University, Theology
Jason Paltzer
Jason Paltzer
The Meros Center, Epidemiology
Chukwuemeka Okafor
Chukwuemeka Okafor
UT Health San Antonio, Epidemiology
Alex Fogleman
Alex Fogleman
Baylor University, Theology

Research Advisory Board

Laura D. Kubzansky
Laura D. Kubzansky
Harvard University, Professor/ Director of the Society and Health Laboratory at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public…
Alexander  Moreira-Almeida
Alexander Moreira-Almeida
Professor at UFJF / Director of Research Center in Spirituality and Health, Brazil / Chair of WPA Section on Religion,…
Brazil
Yoshiki Ishikawa
Yoshiki Ishikawa
Public Health Researcher / Science Journalist
Japan
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Vikram Patel
Professor at Harvard Medical School / co-founder of Sangath
India
Jeffrey Sachs
Jeffrey Sachs
Professor of economics @ Columbia & senior UN advisor
USA
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Alonzo Plough
VP of research, evaluation & learning/ chief science officer at RWJF /Clinical prof of health services, U of Washington
USA
Susan Prescott
Susan Prescott
Professor of paediatrics at U of Western Australia /writer
Australia
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Yunfeng Lu
Professor of sociology/ Center for Law & Religion Studies
China
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Mwenda Ntarangwi
CEO, Commission for University Education
Kenya
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Veronica Benett Martinez
Researcher / Professor at Pompeu Fabra University
Spain
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Joseph Bulbulia
Professor, University of Auckland
New Zealand
Mohammed Mohammed
Mohammed Mohammed
Senior Program Officer, Fetzer Institute
USA
Heather Dill
Heather Dill
President, John M. Templeton Foundation
USA
Tyler Norris
Tyler Norris
Board Chair of Naropa University and co-Chair of the CEO Alliance for Mental Health
USA
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Kate Shellnutt
Christianity Today
USA
Neha Sahgal
Neha Sahgal
Assoc. Dir. Research, Pew Research Center
USA

Country-Specific Satellite Research Partners

A specially selected team of scholars in and/or from the 22 countries are leading a series of country-specific papers, in collaboration with members of the core GFS team, with one paper for each of the 22 countries. Work on the papers began in mid-2024, and these papers will be published later in 2025 as part of a special edition of the International Journal of Wellbeing. The following is a provisional list of authors for each country (with the list subject to revision and updating with new additional co-authors being brought on board).
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Aaron Jarden
Australia/Hong Kong
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Lindsay Oades
Australia
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Dan Loton
Australia
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Claudia Vanney
Argentina
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Peggy Kern
Australia
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Lanxi Huang
Australia/Hong Kong
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Mesurado Belen
Argentina
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Fitz Herbert Arturo
Argentina
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Jean Natividade
Brazil
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Claudia Hofheinz Giacomoni
Brazil
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Ahmed Moustafa
Egypt
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Sebastian Sattler
Germany
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Maike Ritzer
Germany
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Jia-Qi Xu
Hong Kong
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Maggie Yue Zhao
Hong Kong
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Hanchao Hou
Hong Kong
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Shanmukh Kamble
India
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Mahimna Vyas
India
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Anjana Gauri Pendyala
India
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Ni Made Taganing Kurniati
Indonesia
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Dona Eka Putri
Indonesia
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Jeff Levin
Israel
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Yukiko Uchida
Japan
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Joonha Park
Japan
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Alexander Kirchner-Häusler
Japan
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Mohsen Joshanloo
Japan
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Nathan Chiroma
Kenya
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Enrique Roberto Tamés Muñoz
Mexico
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Alberto Hernández Baqueiro
Mexico
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Manuel Cebral Loureda
Mexico
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Angel Gustavo López Montiel
Mexico
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Jim Ritchie-Dunham
Mexico/Spain
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Adibe Aaron Agbo
Nigeria
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Celine Socrates
Philippines
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Eunice Contreras
Philippines
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Kuba Krys
Poland
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Anna Zalewska
Poland
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Verónica Fernández Espinosa
Spain
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Miguel Ángel Rumayor Fernández
Spain
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Isabel Ortiz
Spain
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David Dinwoodie
Spain
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Angelina Wilson Fadiji
South Africa
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Jurgen Hendriks
South Africa
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Richard Cowden
Harvard University, Psychology
South Africa
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Oscar Kjell
Sweden
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August Nilsson
Sweden
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Aleefia Somji
Tanzania
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Ayse Yemiscigli
Turkey
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Dennis Snower
UK/US
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Fernanda Ortega
UK/US