The Global Flourishing Study (GFS) is a multi-year longitudinal research collaboration between researchers at the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University and the Human Flourishing Program at Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University, in partnership with Gallup and the Center for Open Science (COS), and with the support of a consortium of funders. Data is collected for 20+ geographically and culturally diverse countries and territories, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Mainland China, Egypt, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, the Philippines, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Tanzania, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States.

GFS measures global human flourishing in six areas:

1. Happiness and life satisfaction

2. Mental and physical health

3. Meaning and purpose

4. Character and virtue

5. Close social relationships

6. Material and financial stability

The GFS is being led by principal investigators Byron R. Johnson, Director of the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University, and Tyler J. VanderWeele, Director of the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University.

Accessing Reports and Research

For a list of public registrations that contain details of planned research, visit the GFS Registry. Scroll through the registrations or add search terms to narrow your search. You can also refine your search by using the menu in the left hand column. The colored open resource badges will take you to links for data, code, and draft papers (preprints) or journal articles.

Visit the public GFS website to find out more about the study and search the work of the core research team. 

Not sure where to start? Check out GFS resources to answer key questions and find step-by-step guidance.

• Why do I need to use preregistration and report my outputs?
• How can I find out more about the data?
• How do I develop and add my preregistration analysis plan to the GFS Registry?
• I’ve completed my analysis and written up my results - How do I connect my research outputs to my preregistration?

Explore GFS resources.

The GFS is a collaboration between researchers from the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University and the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University, in partnership with Gallup and the Center for Open Science.

The GFS is generously funded by the John Templeton Foundation, Templeton Religion Trust, Templeton World Charity Foundation, Well-Being for Planet Earth, Fetzer Institute, Well Being Trust, Paul L. Foster Family Foundation, and the David & Carol Myers Foundation. The Center for Open Science is funded through a contract from Baylor University.