The COVID-19 pandemic has left a lasting impact on human connection and generosity, with acts of kindness persisting at a higher level than pre-pandemic levels, according to the World Happiness Report 2024.
The Covid-19 ‘Benevolence Bump’ Persists: Acts of Kindness 10% Higher Than Pre-Pandemic Levels
The World Happiness Report 2024 has found that the world experienced a significant increase in acts of kindness during the Covid-19 pandemic, which has remained at a higher level than pre-pandemic levels.
The Long-Term Impact of the Pandemic on Benevolence
Research suggests that the pandemic had a profound impact on people’s willingness to help others. According to Prof. Lara Aknin, one of the report’s editors, ‘the number of people who reported helping strangers sharply increased in 2020 and has been sustained since then.’ This increase is attributed to the fact that the pandemic highlighted the need for human connection and made people more aware of their own limitations.
Lara Aknin is a Canadian social psychologist known for her research on happiness and well-being.
She has published numerous papers on the topic, including studies on the relationship between money and happiness.
According to her findings, people who spend money on others tend to be happier than those who spend it on themselves.
Her work has been featured in various media outlets, including The New York Times and NPR.
The Persistence of Kindness
The World Happiness Report found that acts such as donating and volunteering were more frequent than in 2017-19 in all generations and almost all global regions, although they had fallen from 2023. Helping strangers was still up by an average of 18% from the pre-pandemic era. This suggests that the pandemic has left a lasting impact on people’s willingness to help others.
Generosity is a complex trait that involves both emotional and cognitive components.
Research suggests that individuals who exhibit generous behavior tend to have higher levels of oxytocin, often referred to as the 'cuddle hormone,' which promotes social bonding and trust.
Studies also show that generosity can be contagious, with individuals more likely to engage in charitable acts when they observe others doing so.
In fact, a study found that witnessing generosity increases feelings of warmth and positivity towards others.
Sharing Meals as a Predictor of Wellbeing
The report also found that sharing meals with others was strongly linked with positive wellbeing across all global regions. Those who shared more meals with others reported significantly higher levels of life satisfaction and social support. This highlights the importance of social connections in maintaining overall wellbeing.
The Decline of Happiness in Western Industrial Countries
However, the report also notes a decline in happiness and social trust in western industrial countries, including the US and Europe. This decline has partly led to a rise in political polarization and anti-system votes. The report concludes that finding ways to bring people together again is critical for individual and collective wellbeing.
A Call to Action
Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, the director of Oxford’s Wellbeing Research Centre, emphasizes the need to look beyond traditional determinants like health and wealth when measuring wellbeing. He suggests that sharing meals and trusting others are even stronger predictors of wellbeing than expected. This highlights the importance of social connections in maintaining overall wellbeing and the need for policies that promote these values.
Jan-Emmanuel De Neve is a Belgian economist and happiness expert.
He serves as the Director of the Wellbeing Research Group at Oxford University's Saïd Business School.
De Neve's research focuses on the relationship between economics, politics, and wellbeing.
He has written extensively on topics such as poverty, inequality, and the measurement of national happiness.
