Indonesia Tops World in Harvard Study, Surpassing US and Israel
Indonesia has recorded a surprising achievement in the latest global research by topping the rankings as the country with the best psychological well-being. This result places Indonesia ahead of several advanced nations, including the United States.
The findings come from a study conducted by Harvard University that assesses the overall quality of life of societies. The evaluation does not focus solely on economic aspects but also encompasses broader dimensions of life.
The research, titled the Global Flourishing Study and published in the journal Nature Mental Health, involved more than 200,000 respondents from various countries. The researchers measured well-being based on several key indicators.
These indicators include physical and mental health, happiness, purpose in life, social relationships, individual character, financial conditions, and spiritual aspects.
As a result, Indonesia achieved the highest score of 8.3. Following it are Israel with 7.87, Mexico with 7.64, and Poland with 7.55.
Meanwhile, the US is in 12th place. Other advanced nations, such as the UK, are in 20th place out of 22 countries.
The researchers state that their findings highlight that money is not everything. Thus, well-being is not solely related to wealth or physical health alone.
“Flourishing is multidimensional, and different countries flourish in different ways,” the research team writes in their study, quoted from the Daily Mail.
They note that many advanced countries score high on financial security. However, on the other hand, they are low in aspects of meaning in life, social relationships, and pro-social character.
Japan was found to be the country with the least flourishing society, scoring 5.89. Followed by Turkey with 6.32, the UK with 6.79, India with 6.87, and Spain with 6.9. Japanese respondents were the least likely to answer ‘yes’ to the question of whether they have close friends.
In contrast, Indonesia excels in social relationships and pro-social aspects, factors that create strong connectedness and community.