Books, podcasts, social media, and wellness influencers all seem to have their own formula for finding happiness. Most people have heard, more than once, to practice gratitude, meditate, exercise more, eat better, start a morning routine, or spend time in nature. None of this advice is bad. In fact, it’s backed by numerous studies that show these practices can make a positive difference.

But these answers begin with the same assumption: that happiness is an individual pursuit.

A new international study suggests the communities we live in matter a whole lot, too. Researchers analyzed responses from 97,220 people across 66 countries and identified five broad factors associated with happier societies.

Creating a happy society involves more than personal happiness

The study, published in The Journal of Positive Psychology, examined more than 200 social and psychological variables before narrowing its focus to 56 that were associated with happiness. One of the study’s biggest takeaways was that a society’s well-being can’t be explained simply by adding up the happiness of the people who live there.

Lead author Ewa Palikot, a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Psychology at the Polish Academy of Sciences, told PsyPost:

“Meeting basic needs and having the freedom to work on personal goals are important, but so is the social environment in which we live. Societies are happier when they create conditions that benefit everyone, for example, by promoting equality, freedom of choice, trust, human rights, and institutions that work for the common good.”

5 drivers of happiness

The........

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