Acts of Kindness on the Rise Globally, Boosting Health and Happiness, Study Finds

Acts of kindness are not only on the rise worldwide but also play a measurable role in improving personal wellbeing, according to the 2025 World Happiness Report.

The report found that globally, benevolent actions were 10% more frequent in 2024 compared to the 2017–2019 average, with helping strangers specifically up 18%. Researchers highlight that kindness—whether through volunteering, donating, or offering help—directly contributes to higher life satisfaction.

Person picking up trash | Source: Pexels

“People consistently and universally underestimate the kindness of others,” said Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, editor of the report and director of the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford. “In the United States, only 30% of people think the wallet will be returned when lost. The reality is about 60% of wallets get returned.”

De Neve described kindness as a “virtuous cycle” benefiting both the giver and receiver. “These things are very strongly correlated with improving one’s own life satisfaction, one’s own well-being,” he said.

The report also revealed that even very young children experience joy from giving, and simply witnessing generosity can positively impact mental health.

People volunteering | Source: Pexels

For those seeking ways to integrate kindness into their lives, researchers identified three simple actions with significant wellbeing benefits: volunteering, donating money, and helping strangers. “The kinder you can be without hurting yourself, of course, the better,” said De Neve.