Friendship is one of Spain's strengths for human flourishing, says international ranking
Among the factors affecting human flourishing, Spain has strengths such as friendship and balance in life, and weaknesses such as lack of perceived political voice as well as financial and material worries, according to an international study. The flourishing index is based on questionnaires completed by 200,000 people in 22 middle- and high-income countries. Spain ranks 14th in the ranking excluding financial indicators (ahead of Sweden and Germany), and 18th if financial indicators are considered (behind the same countries). The prosperity of Spanish youth is lower than in other age groups, adds the study published in Nature Mental Health.
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Miguel Landa-Blanco
Research and Liaison Coordinator of the Masters in Clinical Psychology at the National Autonomous University of Honduras
The Global Flourishing Study is one of the most relevant and rigorous studies of human wellbeing to date. With more than 200,000 participants in 22 countries, it offers a comprehensive and comparative look at the multiple factors that influence personal flourishing. The findings are supported by a robust methodology and carefully designed sampling to approximate national representativeness. In the case of Spain, 6,290 people were surveyed using a combination of probability and non-probability samples, collected through online surveys. This strategy allowed for a large sample, although it may have limitations, especially in the representation of certain less accessible groups. Although weighting techniques were applied to correct for possible biases, the results should be interpreted with caution, especially when comparing them with data from countries using different collection methods or with greater territorial coverage. It should also be noted that while the study includes middle- and high-income countries, it does not include low-income countries, which limits the representation of the most vulnerable contexts in this global comparison of well-being.
Despite these considerations, the study provides valuable information for understanding human wellbeing in Spain. Moderate levels of flourishing are observed, with relative strengths in the quality of close relationships and work-life balance, but also weaknesses in areas such as financial stability and perceived political influence and voice. These findings can guide more comprehensive public policies focused on strengthening social cohesion, expanding economic opportunities and fostering environments that promote life purpose and mental health from childhood onwards. Beyond making cross-country comparisons, the real contribution of the study is to point out which dimensions of wellbeing require greater attention in each context, and how to address them in a culturally sensitive and evidence-based way.
Tyler J. VanderWeele et al.
- Research article
- Peer reviewed
- People
