The Global Secrets to Stronger Friendships and Family Bonds

How good are your relationships, really? Researchers asked over 200,000 adults in 22 countries two simple questions: whether they felt content with their friendships and relationships, and whether those relationships were as satisfying as they wanted them to be. The answers, combined into a score from 0 to 10, revealed striking differences across the globe.

Bucking the stereotype of lonely old age, the oldest adults report being the happiest with their relationships.

Most countries landed between 7 and 8, but the range was wide. Indonesia topped the list at 8. 68, while Japan sat at the bottom at 5. 96 — a gap of nearly three full points.

Countries often described as more collectivist, like Indonesia, the Philippines, and Mexico, tended to report higher relationship quality, while several more individualist nations, like Australia, the U. S. , and the U. K. , sat lower down the list — though the pattern was not perfect.

Within countries, certain patterns stood out. Older adults tended to report higher relationship quality than younger adults, and people who attended religious services frequently scored higher than those who never attended. Married and widowed people reported the highest relationship quality, while separated and divorced people reported the lowest. Retired people felt best about their relationships, while unemployed people felt worst. Men and women reported nearly identical scores, and education level made little difference overall. These patterns held in many countries, but not all — each nation had its own unique story.