Gallup Data Shows a Western Well-Being Lag
Global optimism is rising, but Gallup finds young people in North America, Western Europe and Australia and New Zealand are falling behind. Here’s how the fitness and wellness industry can turn it into an opportunity
It’s a paradox at the heart of Gallup’s new global survey: more people worldwide say they are thriving, yet in Australia, New Zealand, Northern America and Western Europe, a sense of thriving has dipped gradually over time, and in 2024, remained under 50%.
Young people, despite their devil-may-care attitude on social media and access to well-being apps and countless self-care tools, are driving much of the decline, according to the World Happiness Report.
To understand the findings, it helps to look at how Gallup measures thriving and why it matters. Gallup’s Life Evaluation Index is based on the Cantril Self-Anchoring Striving Scale, which asks people to rate their present and future lives on a scale from zero (worst possible) to 10 (best possible). A score of seven or higher today and eight or higher five years ahead (forward-looking) classifies someone as “thriving.” Ratings of four or lower on both put people in the “suffering” category, while everyone else is considered “struggling.”
Thriving Is Rising but Uneven
The data matters, Gallup notes, because it captures something GDP and other traditional economic indicators cannot: how people actually feel about their lives. It’s a subjective snapshot of human progress that reflects optimism and lived experience, not just income or output.
Taken together, the results paint a surprisingly rosy global picture. In 2024, a median of 33% of adults across 142 countries described themselves as “thriving,” extending more than a decade of steady progress in how people rate their lives. That figure is slightly higher than the population-weighted average of 28%, which gives more influence to heavily populated countries like China and India. But whichever measure you use, the trajectory has been the same, as both have climbed well above pre-pandemic levels and show sustained momentum.
The gains are also not confined to one group. Men and women, both younger and older adults, are rating their lives more positively than in years past. Meanwhile, the share of people struggling at the bottom has been shrinking. In 2024, just 7% worldwide said they were suffering, the lowest on record since 2007 and considerably lower than 12% a decade ago.
But not everyone is along for the ride. Reports of thriving are climbing steadily in Latin America, Eastern and Southern Europe, East and Southeast Asia and much of Post-Soviet Eurasia, yet Northern America (49%), Western Europe (42%) and Australia and New Zealand (49%) remain stuck below the halfway mark.
Other regions are seeing slower progress. The Middle East and North Africa (17%) and sub-Saharan Africa (15%) have made only modest gains from already low starting points, while South Asia (11%) has shown no change at all since 2007, a sharp contrast to the upward trend elsewhere.
At the country level, the story is even more uneven. Over the past decade, thriving rates jumped by 20 points or more in a dozen nations, most in Eastern and Southern Europe, including Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Lithuania, Armenia, Estonia and Hungary. The lone outlier is Switzerland, where thriving has dropped by 22 points, making it the only country to see such a steep reversal.
The rise in global thriving mirrors improvements in the UN’s Human Development Index (HDI), but Gallup’s data shows the drivers run deeper, as gains in material well-being don’t always translate into people feeling better about their lives. Instead, progress seems tied to rising satisfaction with personal freedoms (81% globally), stronger perceptions of child well-being (75% say their country is a good place for kids to grow), and a rebound in economic optimism since the 2008 financial crisis. In 2024, 42% expected their local economies to improve, and 49% believed their living standards were improving.
Gallup finds these factors (freedom, optimism and confidence in the next generation) are more closely linked to thriving than HDI growth alone. The takeaway: even amid conflict, climate pressures and uncertainty, more people see reasons for hope.
The Fitness & Wellness Opportunities
For fitness and wellness brands, Gallup’s findings could be a catalyst for helping a generation rediscover optimism. In regions where they are reporting declines, another app or slick campaign won’t cut it. What may resonate are offerings that go deeper, with spaces that promote community, programs that weave mental health into fitness and experiences that help people feel connected. Luckily, the fertile ground is already there, and willingness is half the battle: consumers are drinking less, investing more in health and showing a greater willingness to spend on healthy food and lifestyle choices that prioritize well-being. Putting this into action could look like recovery lounges that double as social hubs, group classes that emphasize inclusion over performance, or wellness content that speaks to meaning as much as it does to muscle.
Some brands aren’t waiting. With nearly one in four adults worldwide reporting loneliness, fitness leaders such as CrossFit, Hyrox, Strong New York and The Athletic Clubs are putting community at the core of their models.
Running is emerging as another proving ground for community, with run club participation rates climbing. Parkrun, which launched its first Brooklyn event this month, pulled in more than 550 participants for a free 5K at Brooklyn Bridge Park. With no fees, no finish times and a focus on inclusion, the global initiative now operates in 2,600 locations across 23 countries. In a city where boutique classes often top $40, Parkrun’s appeal shows how accessibility and community can have a major impact. Meanwhile, SoulCycle’s recent partnership with The Zero Proof offers another model, combining a fitness class with a social aspect that celebrates a sober-curious lifestyle.