
Connecting Global Peace, Wellbeing and Health C O P Y R I G H T S TA N D A R D S This document contains proprietary research, copyrighted and trademarked materials of Gallup, Inc.Accordingly, international and domestic laws and penalties guaranteeing patent, copyright,trademark and trade secret protection safeguard the ideas, concepts and recommendations relatedwithin this document. The materials contained in this document and/or the document itself may be downloaded and/orcopied provided that all copies retain the copyright, trademark and any other proprietary noticescontained on the materials and/or document. No changes may be made to this document withoutthe express written permission of Gallup, Inc. Any reference whatsoever to this document, in whole or in part, on any web page must provide a linkback to the original document in its entirety. Except as expressly provided herein, the transmissionof this material shall not be construed to grant a license of any type under any patents, copyright ortrademarks owned or controlled by Gallup, Inc. Gallup®is a trademark of Gallup, Inc. All other trademarks and copyrights are property of theirrespective owners. Taking Responsibility forHealth in a Fragmenting World This resonates with the atmosphere of the WorldHealth Summit itself: While we confront difficult realitiesand address serious challenges, we also build trustthrough human connection. Humor, respect andshared experiences are not distractions; they are partof the foundations of peace and health. In a world increasingly marked by political, socialand emotional fragmentation, the responsibility tosafeguard health has never been more urgent. At theWorld Health Summit, our leitmotif for 2025 is clear:Taking Responsibility for Health in a FragmentingWorld. This principle recognizes that health is not onlyabout medicine or policy; it is also about the emotionalfabric that holds societies together. For policymakers, the implications are clear. Trackingemotions provides an early warning system for fragility.But even more importantly, strengthening governance,reducing conflict, investing in health systems andprioritizing mental health are inseparable dimensionsof promoting human security. The World HealthSummit was founded to be the leading platform wherescience, politics, the private sector and civil societycome together to take collective responsibility. Ourambition is not only to debate but to deliver real impact— because peace, health and emotional wellbeing riseand fall together. Only by acting together can we build ahealthier, more stable and more peaceful world. This firstState of the World’s Emotional Healthreportmakes a powerful contribution to that mission. Gallup’sfindings reveal that the world is on an emotional edge:worry, stress, sadness and anger affect hundredsof millions of people daily, with levels higher than adecade ago. These emotions are not fleeting states ofmind. They shape physical health, determine resilienceand — when prolonged — undermine mental health,societal stability and peace. Where peace is fragile,negative emotions intensify. Where peace is strong,populations live longer, healthier lives. The data also expose persistent inequalities. For nearlytwo decades, women have reported higher levels ofsadness, worry, pain and stress than men, a gap thatwidened during the pandemic. At the World HealthSummit, women’s health and the broader genderdimension of health and peace have always beencentral to our agenda. Protecting women’s right tohealth is essential for building peace and resilience. We are grateful for our partnership with Gallup. Bycombining Gallup’s unique expertise in capturing theworld’s emotional pulse with the World Health Summit’smission to build bridges across sectors, we are ableto highlight challenges and identify opportunitiesfor collective action. This collaboration exemplifiesthe spirit of partnership that is essential to building ahealthier and more resilient world. At the same time, the findings also point to resilienceand hope. Positive emotions such as laughter,enjoyment and respect have proven remarkablysteady, even in times of crisis. Carsten Schicker CEO of the World Health Summit Introduction The world is on an emotional edge. Gallup data show that in 2024, 39% of adults worldwide reported worrying formuch of the previous day, and more than a third said they felt stressed. Compared with a decade ago, hundreds ofmillions more people now experience these emotions. But does how people feel matter to health and peace in their countries? The evidence suggests it does. Peace,health and emotional wellbeing are not separate outcomes. They deeply connect, reinforcing each other.1,2Peaceallows health systems and daily life to function. By contrast, poor health and widespread unhappiness can fraysocieties and raise the risk of instability.3 Researchers have long tried to measure peace itself.Two widely used global metrics produced by the Institutefor