Who Feels Balanced in a Tilted World?

What does it mean to have balance in life? It is not just about work and free time. It is about whether the different parts of your life — your relationships, your health, your work, your emotions — feel like they fit together in a way that works.

Retirees report the highest levels of life balance, suggesting financial security is a key ingredient for our well-being.

This study asked over 200,000 people across 22 countries a simple question: "In general, how often are the various aspects of your life in balance?" The answers reveal striking differences. In Israel, 83% of people said their life is often or always in balance. In Tanzania, only 44% said the same.

The study also looked at who tends to feel more balanced. Retirees reported the highest levels of balance at 76%, while people unemployed and looking for work had the lowest at 57%. People who attended religious services frequently also reported more balance. Older adults tended to feel more balanced than younger people, and married people more than those who were separated or divorced. Education mattered too, but only for people with 16 or more years of schooling.

Gender and immigration status made very little difference on average. But here is the catch: nearly every pattern varied a lot depending on the country. In some places, women felt more balanced than men. In others, the opposite was true. The study suggests that what helps someone feel balanced is not universal — it depends heavily on where they live and the social conditions around them.