Global Study Reveals High Happiness in Low-Income Indigenous Communities

Despite minimal financial resources, indigenous and local communities worldwide report life satisfaction levels comparable to wealthy nations.

A recent study involving 2,966 individuals across 19 indigenous and local communities worldwide found an average life satisfaction score of 6.8, challenging the conventional link between wealth and happiness.
Only 64% of surveyed households had any cash income, yet some communities reported satisfaction scores above 8, rivaling wealthy Scandinavian countries.
The study suggests that factors other than financial wealth, such as social support, spirituality, and connections to nature, may play a significant role in achieving life satisfaction.
Researchers highlight that this finding is consistent with the notion that human societies can support satisfactory lives without high degrees of material wealth.
The results are seen as good news for sustainability and human happiness, indicating that resource-intensive economic growth is not necessary for high levels of subjective well-being.