World Opinion: A happy family life and a good health is what matters most in life

As human beings we seem to share some very basic values, no matter whether we live a sophisticated urban life in one of the World's metropolis or in a rural area in a developing country. In the World's largest-ever opinion poll conducted by Gallup International in 60 countries around the globe, a representative sample of 50,000 people was asked: "What matters most in Life?" The response that most frequently came back from almost every corner of the globe was: to have a happy family life and a good health.

Apart from the unison around these two basic values, what matters most does differ significantly from country to country and from region to region depending on the local economic, religious and political situation. But in only three countries did something matter even more than family and health, namely to be faithful to one's religion. This was true in Nigeria, Ghana and Pakistan.

How was the survey conducted

The 55 member companies of Gallup International and other friendly institutes asked a simple question "What matters most in Life?" and gave the respondent the choice of two values from a list of eight. The question might have been a simple one, but it did demand some thought from the people interviewed, as all of the eight values were highly desirable. Try to put the question to yourself and you will probably agree that the list is hard to choose from.

What matters most in Life?
Tell me only the two things that matters the very most in life?

• To have a job
• To get an education
• To be faithful to my religion
• To have a good standard of living
• To live in a country where there is not war
• To have a happy family life
• To live in freedom
• To live in a country without violence and corruption
• To have good health

Not all that easy to answer, is it? It is only when we have to pick from answers all of which we like, that we can really disclose our basic values are.

What matters most in life?

Health slightly more important than family happiness

A choice between your health and a happy family would be a tough one. However, health does come in as No.1 in 37 out of the 60 countries, whereas a happy family comes in as a No.1 in only 16 countries.

All in all the population in 50 countries have chosen health and family in one or both of the two first places making these two values stand out from the rest.

To have a job comes high on the list

To have a job ranks as number one in 5 countries (Argentina, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru and Cameroon) and as number two or three in another 23 countries, mostly those where having a job does not necessarily come all that automatically. Amongst these countries were almost all of the former Soviet dominated economies of Armenia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine and Russia itself. A job was also equally high on the list in Latin America (Chile, Columbia, Uruguay, and Mexico), in some of the troubled Asian economies (Pakistan, Thailand and the Philippines) and in West Africa (Nigeria and Ghana). In Beijing, which was the only part of China interviewed, having a job came only second to having good health.

Developed economies can allow themselves different values

In almost all the 15 countries in Western Europe and in North America having a job rated quite low. For example, having a job was only ranked among the two most important values by 5 percent of the population in the Netherlands and Great Britain This was also the case in two of the strong Asian economies - Singapore and Hong Kong. This should not be interpreted as if people in those regions do not care about having a job, rather that because it comes so much easier to them, they think of other things first.

What then are the most valuable things in life for people in such safe economies? That is, apart from a good health and a happy family life, which is number one or two in most of these countries.

The answer is to live in freedom closely followed by living in a country without war. These values come in as numbers three and four in most of Western Europe. It is interesting to note how similar the response is in all of these democracies. Freedom and the absence of war are truly highly treasured.

World War II has left a lasting impact on our values

In general countries in which World War II was felt heavily rank living in a country without war very high. These would in general also be countries in which the threats of the Cold War were felt on a more or less daily basis for a several decades.

Apart from the Western democracies, living in a country without war is also ranked as number 3 or 4 in many of the former Soviet dominated European countries including Russia itself. Most of these countries share the European experience from the World War II and have recently witnessed the demise of the Soviet empire and subsequent changes in government. Although this eventually passed peacefully in most countries, living in peace is a very important value to all Europeans. Probably the recent war in the former Yugoslavia has reiterated this to Europeans.

That the World War II has had a lasting impact can also be seen in Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore, where living in peace is also ranked 3rd or 4th.

A notable exception is the USA in which only 7 percent chooses living in a country without war as one of the two things that matter most in life. The Americans have family, freedom and health in the first 3 places and being faithful to my religion as the 4th most sought after value. Although America is undoubtedly one of the more "war-active" nations, wars have never been on their own soil, which might explain why Americans differ from other World War II nations on this issue. The concept of a war in their country is simply too remote a possibility.

To stop corruption and violence is high on the list in Latin America

Some of those countries where the state is trying to establish a firm democratic foundation and strong public control find that the transition is often accompanied by corruption and violence. In most of the Latin American countries participating in the Gallup International Millennium Survey living in a country without violence and corruption is ranked as No.3 or 4 just after having a job.

Other countries in which living without corruption and violence comes high on the list are Ghana, Taiwan and Russia.

Religion counts most for Muslims

When looking at religion, Muslims are clearly those for whom being faithful to my religion counts most - mentioned as one of the two most important things in life by 36 percent of Muslim respondents, making it their most important value. Therefore it is ranked high in predominantly Muslim countries like Turkey, Pakistan and Nigeria. However, religion also comes high on the list in a few other countries with different religious denominations e.g. Ghana, Malaysia, Philippines and the USA.

What are we willing to give up first

In the survey the question was also reversed. The list of values remained the same, but the question was now: Which are the two things that you would say matters least in life?

What matters least in life?

The most popular answers to what matters least (when you are forced to choose) are almost as consensual globally as was the high ranking of family and health. If we do have to choose something that matters less, we choose to give up on being faithful to my religion and to have a good standard of living. Actually the population in 48 of the 60 countries mention, being faithful to my religion as one of the two least important things in life.

Whereas being faithful to a religion might have been expected to be among the less important things in life to many people, it is maybe more of a surprise that in our day and age a good standard of living is sacrificed so readily since quite often our present lifestyle is criticised for being too materialistic.

That may be so but when asked many people do respond that if they have to choose, their standard of living would be much less important than health, family, freedom and to live in peace.

As human beings we share the same values

One of the aims of the Gallup International Millennium Survey was to see to which extent there is such a thing as "global human conscience". The degree to which we share the same values independent of our nationality and under what circumstances we live is revealed by our survey. If we cannot agree to strive for a common range of values, we will have difficulties in agreeing where we want to take the World in the New Millennium.

Although there are differences, we do agree on most values so there can be no question that the family is at the core of our common values. Having good health and a happy family life are the most sought after values almost everywhere in the world. Also we want a job so we may provide for ourselves and those we love and then, very importantly, we want to live our lives in freedom, in a country where there is no war.

If we are only convinced that we can achieve and sustain a happy family life in freedom, without being afraid of others threatening our family and freedom, the World has little reason to fear another escalation into war.

In many countries having a good health and a job that can provide the basis for a happy family life is not yet as easy to come by as it is in the developed nations. If people in such countries were asked, they would probably want more government resources to go into this rather than into building up military power which our survey shows nobody really wants to see used anyway.

René Spogárd, Gallup Denmark