The Global Map of Human Suffering

Suffering is something every human knows, but how much it touches a population varies enormously around the world. This study asked over 200,000 people across 22 countries a simple question: 'To what extent are you suffering?' The answers ranged widely.

Across the globe, instability in our jobs, relationships, and opportunities can cause a deep and personal pain.

In Türkiye, 60% of people said they were suffering at least 'some' or 'a lot.' In Poland, only 24% said the same. That means suffering was more than twice as common in one country compared to another. But the study didn't just look at countries.

It also asked who, within each country, was most likely to suffer. When researchers pooled results across all 22 nations, three patterns stood out. People who had separated from their spouse reported the highest suffering — 56% said they were suffering, compared to 41% of married people. Those who were unemployed and looking for work, or who fell into an 'other' employment category, also reported more suffering than people employed by an employer. And people with eight or fewer years of education reported more suffering than those with 16 or more years.

Interestingly, some differences you might expect didn't show up when averaged across countries. Age, gender, immigration status, and how often someone attended religious services didn't produce clear overall gaps in suffering — though in individual countries, some of these mattered a lot. For example, in 17 of the 22 countries, women reported more suffering than men, but the size of that gap varied widely. The study also found that no single pattern applied everywhere. In some countries, people who attended religious services most often had the lowest suffering. In others, the same group had the highest. This suggests that suffering is shaped not just by personal circumstances, but by the cultural and social context in which people live. These findings offer a first-of-its-kind map of suffering across the globe — and a starting point for identifying who may need the most support.