Pathways to Flourishing for Students and Young People
Global Flourishing Study data reveals a striking reversal: young adults now report significantly lower well-being than older populations—a challenge Baylor is leading the way to address.
What Others Are Saying
Read New York Times coverage of the Global Flourishing Study's wave one insights that young adults are struggling compared to other age groups and previous generations.
Arthur Brooks examines GFS findings in this 2025 Atlantic Monthly piece, and seeks to answer the question posed in the title.
"There is happiness, and then there is flourishing," says CNN in article highlighting the Global Flourishing Study findings. "And as new research has found, having one doesn’t always mean having the other, too."
A deep dive into the data from the First Wave of the Global Flourishing Study, featuring insights from more than 200,000 people across 22 countries.
Scholars, lawmakers, journalists and leaders are studying of the findings from Baylor’s landmark Global Flourishing Study (GFS). When insights from the first wave of data were released last year, a key project insight-the challenges faced by young people around the globe-drew significant attention and concern. As GFS data collection continues, Baylor University is boldly bridging GFS research with real-world practice to support the flourishing of our students and become an evidence-based flourishing campus.
Serving neighbors around close to home and around the globe through elite research is our DNA as a Christian R1 research university. The Global Flourishing Study distinctly embodies the Baylor mission: a first-of-its kind, worldwide study to uncover the factors that enable individuals and societies to thrive. More than 200,000 participants in 20+ countries participate in the $43.4 million longitudinal study over a five-year period. Co-led by Baylor Institute for Global Human Flourishing Director Byron Johnson, Ph.D., this groundbreaking study is conducted alongside leading research partners at Harvard University, Gallup and the Center for Open Science.
Global Flourishing News Feed
Baylor University and Harvard University release two waves of landmark dataset spanning 200,000 participants across 22 countries — no registration required
Baylor's landmark Global Flourishing Study is the largest study of its kind to examine human flourishing. Learn what researchers found in countries around the world that unlock clues to help people thrive in meaningful ways.
Institute establishes Baylor as a global leader for research on faith and human flourishing, as well as the epicenter for global flourishing research/practice alongside Harvard’s Human Flourishing Program.
Generational, financial, geographical and spiritual differences top flourishing findings.