In the wake of the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan and the subsequent resurgence of Taliban control in 2021, a striking new study published in Science Advances has revealed an unprecedented nadir in the nation’s subjective well-being. Utilizing comprehensive data derived from the Gallup World Poll and the World Database of Happiness, a team of interdisciplinary researchers led by Levi Stutzman of the University of Toronto’s Department of Psychology conducted a meticulous analysis of Afghan life satisfaction scores over multiple time points. The 2022 findings expose an average life satisfaction rating of merely 1.28 on a zero-to-ten scale, marking the lowest recorded level globally since the inception of such measurements in 1946. This figure starkly contrasts with the worldwide mean score of 5.48 reported in the same year, underscoring a profound societal distress that surpasses even the darkest historical lows observed internationally.
This study’s revelations are sobering when juxtaposed against a typical global trend showing people’s future expectations exceeding their current circumstances. Notably, Afghans’s hopes for the future plunge even lower than their already dismal present satisfaction, averaging just 1.02. This inversion defies the usual optimistic human outlook and reflects a collective psyche enveloped by despair amid ongoing political upheaval, economic collapse, and deteriorating living conditions. According to Stutzman, this anomaly in attitude signals a nation grappling with deep-seated structural adversities that severely constrain personal well-being and optimism.
Methodologically, the research is grounded in extensive face-to-face interviews carried out across three key periods: prior to the U.S. troop withdrawal (2018-2019), during the withdrawal and initial Taliban takeover (2021), and after the withdrawal was complete with Taliban governance consolidated (2022). Intriguingly, the data indicated life satisfaction levels at 2.69 in 2018—a figure that remained relatively stable during the uncertain transitional period of 2021 despite escalating political instability. However, following the completed U.S. troop exit and Taliban consolidation, a precipitous decline to 1.28 was recorded, signaling a dramatic deterioration in Afghan subjective well-being.
This persistent decline reveals several critical insights into how structural violence and political unrest profoundly impact psychological health at a population level. War-induced trauma, resource scarcity, and brutal governance policies have jointly created an environment inimical to happiness or hope. Contrary to frequently emphasized well-being theories that highlight genetic predispositions and personal habits like exercise or gratitude practices, this research compellingly argues that socio-political contexts—often sidelined—play an outsized role in shaping well-being outcomes. “Our happiness is not solely an individual concern but deeply entangled with broader societal frameworks,” Stutzman affirms, illustrating the necessity of integrating external life circumstances into psychological models.
Within Afghanistan’s exacerbated context, women and rural inhabitants emerge as disproportionately vulnerable demographics. The Taliban’s restrictive edicts on women’s rights, combined with inherently weaker infrastructure and heightened food insecurity in rural regions, deepen existing disparities. This multifaceted crisis contributes not only to immediate survival challenges but also to long-term psychological erosion, as living conditions systematically undermine human dignity and hope. The profound gendered and geographic disparities further spotlight the complex layers of distress within Afghan society.
The study notably calls attention to a glaring global media and humanitarian oversight. The researchers emphasize that since the chaotic scenes of August 2021—when thousands of desperate Afghans sought escape at Kabul airport, clinging to airplane exteriors—public focus and international aid have largely waned. This neglect endangers the durable recovery process Afghanistan desperately needs, which hinges on sustained investments in essential services spanning healthcare, food distribution, water access, and infrastructural rebuilding. Felix Cheung, an assistant professor involved in the research, stresses that the cessation of active combat should not be misconstrued as conflict resolution. Instead, it represents a nascent phase that demands evidence-based policymaking rooted in an understanding of Afghan lived realities.
The confluence of compounded crises following U.S. troop withdrawal—such as devastating earthquakes, widespread droughts, COVID-19 repercussions, and controversial sociopolitical policies—has delivered a cumulative blow to Afghanistan’s societal fabric. The international community’s cuts in humanitarian aid have further exacerbated the plight, increasing food insecurity and economic fragility and deepening the humanitarian emergency. In this light, the reported life satisfaction and hope metrics serve as powerful barometers of Afghanistan’s unraveling social health and existential struggle.
Beyond the immediate focal point of Afghanistan, the research team plans to extend their analytical lens to other war-affected populations, with an emphasis on civilians caught in ongoing conflicts such as Ukraine amid the 2022 Russian invasion. This comparative approach aims to illuminate the universal and contextual dimensions of subjective well-being under duress, further enriching the interdisciplinary discourse on war’s psychological toll. Such cross-context studies hold the potential to guide targeted interventions and global policy responses to the mental and social scars wrought by sustained violence.
A critical technical aspect of the study involves addressing the challenges inherent in cross-cultural assessments of subjective well-being. Recognizing that life satisfaction may be interpreted variously depending on cultural, socio-economic, and political contexts, the authors caution against simplistic or monolithic comparisons. They advocate for more refined methodologies to ensure cultural comparability, thereby enhancing the interpretative power and policy relevance of subjective well-being indicators. This nuanced understanding underscores the importance of context-sensitive metrics in global mental health research.
Overall, the research underlines the limitations of individual-level interventions in the face of larger systemic adversities. While psychological resilience and personal wellbeing practices have merit, they cannot fully compensate for external structural deficits. This paradigm shift calls for integrated strategies incorporating humanitarian aid, governance reforms, and international solidarity aimed at reconstructing both material conditions and psychosocial foundations in Afghanistan. The study’s stark empirical evidence elevates the urgency of coordinated global action to address the silent crisis engulfing millions of Afghans.
In conclusion, this landmark study presents a deeply distressing portrait of Afghanistan’s collective psyche amid ongoing turmoil. It reveals not merely a statistical low in life satisfaction but a profound indictment of the enduring costs of war, displacement, and fractured governance on human well-being. As the world shifts attention elsewhere, these findings serve as a poignant call to recall and respond to the pressing humanitarian necessities and psychological wounds of a people left behind. The research demands that policymakers, aid organizations, and the global public recognize well-being as a critical metric of recovery and as a guide for sustained post-conflict reconstruction efforts.
Subject of Research: People
Article Title: Epilogue to the war: Afghanistan reports the lowest well-being in recorded history
News Publication Date: 28-May-2025
Web References:
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.ads4156
http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ads4156
References:
Data extracted from the Gallup World Poll and the World Database of Happiness, analyzed by Stutzman, Cheung, Lun, Yang, and Chan.
Image Credits: Not provided
Keywords: Afghanistan, life satisfaction, subjective well-being, Taliban, U.S. withdrawal, war impact, psychological distress, humanitarian crisis, population well-being, cross-cultural research, public health, political instability
