A global survey of 150,000 people in 142 countries in 2022–2023 examined how shared meals affect happiness, life satisfaction, and unhappiness. Sharing meals operates as a universal social ritual that is comparable across countries, cultures, individuals, and time. Every shared meal contributes to increased well-being, and the cumulative effect grows with more shared meals. The optimal number of shared meals for happiness is reported as 13 per week. Rates of dining alone or with others show no association with income, education, or employment. The connection between shared meals and well-being is strongest in the United States, New Zealand, and Australia.
There may not be a recipe for happiness, but there is definitely a meal plan. The 2025 World Happiness Report shares a special ingredient for happiness that transcends age, gender, country, culture, and location. The secret? Sharing a meal with another person. Sharing meals is a universal social ritual practiced daily by millions of people. It is uniquely comparable across countries and cultures, between individuals, and over time.
Happiness researchers De Neve, Dugan, Kaats, and Prati from Oxford University, the Gallup organization, Harvard University, and University College London surveyed 150,000 people in 142 countries in 2022 and 2023 to investigate the impact of shared meals on happiness, life satisfaction, and unhappiness. They reported their findings in the 2025 World Happiness Report, "Sharing meals with others: How sharing meals supports happiness and social connections." They provide new insights to jump-start additional research into the understudied aspects of social connection in meal sharing.
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