India Is The Least Stressed Country In South Asia, Reveals Study

Just 14% of Indian employees consider themselves “thriving” in life, while the majority admit to “struggling” or “suffering”, a new study has found. This percentage falls significantly below the global average of 34% of workers who are reportedly thriving.

The Gallup 2024 State of the Global Workplace study, which assesses the mental health and well-being of employees worldwide, categorises respondents into three groups based on their level of well-being: thriving, struggling or suffering, utilising its Life Evaluation Index. According to this study, 86% of Indian employees admitted that they were struggling or suffering.

‘Thriving’ individuals are those who rate their current circumstances as highly favourable (a score of 7 or above) and are optimistic about the next five years.

‘Struggling’ refers to respondents who are uncertain or pessimistic about their current circumstances, along with increased stress and financial concerns.

Meanwhile, ‘suffering’ are those who rate their current quality of life as 4 or worse and hold a pessimistic outlook for the future. The term “suffering” refers to a group of people who feel hopeless about their lives and prospects, often lacking basic necessities, and experiencing severe physical and mental distress.

South Asia, as a whole, reports the lowest levels of thriving employees. Only 15% of respondents from South Asia claim to be thriving, a figure 19% lower than the global average.

This trend is consistent across all nations examined, with India exhibiting the second-highest percentage of thriving individuals at just 14%, according to a press release from Gallup. Furthermore, 35% of Indian respondents admit to feeling anger daily, a figure higher than in any other South Asian country.

Despite these challenges, India stands out as the least stressed country in South Asia, with only 32% of respondents reporting daily stress, compared to 62% in Sri Lanka and 58% in Afghanistan. Moreover, India maintains a high percentage of employee engagement, with 32%, well above the global average of 23%.