CEOWORLD magazine has released its 2024 report on the most and least stressed countries in the world. The report assesses stress levels in 211 countries and territories, looking at four categories: work, money, family, and health and safety stress, to help people understand which countries have less stressful populations and which countries face serious social problems.
The latest ranking of the world's least stressed countries and regions in 2024 shows that Austria ranks 19th on the list, behind three Chinese regions including Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The results raise questions about the reliability of the rankings, especially when considering the significant differences in social stresses between East Asia and Western Europe.
· Comparison of stress levels in European countries and East Asia
Among European countries, Austria ranks lower in pressure than many other countries, behind only Switzerland (8th), Norway (11th), Denmark (13th) and Netherlands (14th). Austria scored 93.24, 94.03 for work stress, 91.82 for money, 92.91 for family and 93.60 for health and safety. These figures reflect a more balanced life and a relatively high level of social security in the European context.
However, Hong Kong (15th with 94.09), Taiwan (17th with 93.54) and Macau (7th with 96.70) in East Asia surprisingly rank higher than Austria. Although these districts perform better in terms of money stress and family stress scores, many people doubt the accuracy of this ranking due to their fast-paced lifestyles, high housing prices, and competitive education systems.
· Austria comparison with social pressures in three regions of China
- Macau, China: Macau performed very well in the ranking, with an overall score of 96.70, 97.07 for work stress, 96.88 for money stress, 96.27 for family stress and 96.57 for health and safety. Despite Macau's high stress score, this figure may not fully account for the unique social pressures posed by Macau's gaming industry and its growing cost of living. In addition, Macau's smaller size and more stable economic resources may have reduced residents' anxiety about the uncertainty of the future, which is reflected in the score as less stress.
- Hong Kong, China: Hong Kong ranked 15th with an overall score of 94.09 and a work stress score of 94.89. Although Hong Kong is ranked higher than Austria, Hong Kong is known to have one of the highest levels of work stress and cost of living in the world. High housing prices, long working hours, educational pressures, and social unrest can all have a negative impact on residents' mental health. As a result, the results seem to ignore the additional pressures imposed by Hong Kong's unique social environment.
- Taiwan, China: Taiwan ranked 17th with an overall score of 93.54 and a work pressure of 94.26. Although Taiwan has a low cost of living and a well-developed social welfare system, the overtime culture and pressure to go to school in East Asian societies still plague many families and young people. In addition, the problem of high housing prices still exists in Taiwan, so the actual living pressure of residents may not be as low as the ranking suggests.
· Differences in social life patterns between Europe and East Asia
European countries, especially Austria, have a reputation for relatively liberal social welfare systems, robust labor regulations, and a good quality of life. For example, Austria's social security system provides residents with a high level of living security, with paid leave and shorter working hours giving residents more time to balance work and life.
In contrast, the East Asian lifestyle is generally known for being fast-paced and intense. Even in Hong Kong and Macau, which perform well in the rankings, the real life of residents is still affected by the high cost of living, educational pressures and overtime culture. The social culture of these regions places a greater emphasis on individual struggle and competition, making the stresses of life more invisible and difficult to fully reflect through data.
· Questioning the accuracy of the rankings
In this case, the rankings raise questions about how stress metrics are measured. Global rankings may not fully reflect the true level of stress in different cultural and social contexts. While East Asian residents show less pressure in the rankings, their unique socio-cultural and rapidly changing economic environment may mean that the reality is much more complex. In Western European countries such as Austria, although the overall social security is better, there are also hidden pressures caused by immigration problems and political changes.
· Conclusion
The data in the rankings reveal some interesting phenomena, but also show the limitations of stress assessment in different parts of the world. Although China's Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan score higher overall than Austria, their actual living pressures may not be lower than those in Europe, and in some respects even more prominent. This reflects the need for a comprehensive analysis that takes into account more socio-cultural contexts and long-term economic trends in international comparisons.
(The content is transferred from the small partner "Victoria City" EuroNews, the original compilation of the European Times Central and Eastern Europe Karl, part of the content is referenced from ORF, Austria "News", "Courier", "Austria News", "Today", etc., some pictures are from Xinhua News Agency, APA and the Internet, please indicate)