Indonesia Was Named The Most Prosperous Country Based On Harvard Study, This Is The Reason

Indonesian Society (Photo: Freepik/odua)

JAKARTA - Indonesia has just been named the most prosperous country in the world based on the results of a Global Flourishing Study (GFS) study initiated by researchers from Harvard University, Baylor University, and the Gallup survey institute. This achievement is quite surprising, especially when compared to developed countries that have often been associated with high quality of life. Then, what makes Indonesia able to achieve this title?

Reporting from the South China Morning Post page, the global Flourishing Study (GFS) is the first international study to specifically measure the level of flourishing or overall welfare of people in various countries. This study involved more than 200 thousand respondents from 23 countries and territories between 2022 and 2024.

Different from the world happiness report (World Happiness Report) which focuses more on economic aspects and the satisfaction of life alone, GFS sees the welfare of the top five dimensions:

Indonesia ranks first with a score of 8.47 in the five categories, outperforming countries such as Mexico, the Philippines, even the United States and European countries.

According to the researchers, Indonesia stands out because of the strength of social and religious relations that are very strong. Participation in religious and social activities is the main support for the welfare of the Indonesian people.

Sociologist from the State University of Jakarta, Rakhmat Hidayat, explained that the Indonesian people consider the happiness to come more from social interactions than material wealth.

"Our people have a very strong mutual cooperation culture, and the value of togetherness is prioritized over individual achievement," he said.

In addition, religious values and cultural practices such as parimo, namely accepting living conditions sincerely, helping to strengthen people's psychological resilience. This allows them to feel meaning and happiness in life, even in ideal economic conditions.

Indonesia is also known as the most generous country in the world based on the World Giving Index, which assesses people's tendency to give and help others. This is an indication that the Indonesian people have high social awareness, one of the important aspects of welfare according to GFS.

Diponegoro University psychologist, Hastaning Sakti, added that the generous attitude and concern for others were influenced by religious teachings, especially Islam, which was embraced by the majority of Indonesians.

"Religion teaches to do good, and people apply that in their daily lives," he said.

One of the important messages from this study is that welfare is not solely determined by wealth. Developed countries with high income such as Japan actually recorded a lower welfare score than Indonesia.

In their opinion article in The New York Times, the authors of the GFS study invited developed countries to consider that social relations, a sense of purpose, and spiritual connections are just as important factors, if not more than economic progress.

Even though Indonesia has been named the most prosperous country, experts remind us not to let our guard down or feel satisfied. Rakhmat Hidayat suggested that the government use this data to strengthen character education in schools and encourage a simple lifestyle among officials and the wider community.

"We must continue to work hard to build the country, but do not forget the social and moral values that are the main strengths of this nation," he said.

Indonesia shows the world that true welfare does not only lie in material wealth, but also in social power, spirituality, and deep meaning of life. In a modern era that is increasingly individualistic, this lesson from Indonesia is an important reminder for the global world.