TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan has secured the distinction of being Asia's happiest nation in the newly published 2025 World Happiness Report, with researchers pointing to a surprising cultural factor behind the achievement. The comprehensive study, released Thursday (March 20), revealed that Taiwan's tradition of communal dining plays a pivotal role in its citizens' well-being, with the island nation ranking an impressive eighth globally for shared meal practices among the 142 countries evaluated. This connection between happiness and breaking bread together challenges conventional wisdom about the primary sources of national contentment and highlights the profound impact of social connectivity on collective well-being.
The influential annual report, which operates with backing from a United Nations agency, positioned Taiwan 27th in its global happiness rankings, marking a notable four-position improvement from its 31st place standing last year and elevating it above regional competitor Singapore. Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, who serves both as an editor of the report and director of Oxford University's Wellbeing Research Centre, emphasized a paradigm shift in understanding happiness determinants. His analysis suggests that the simple act of sharing meals may outweigh conventionally prioritized metrics such as healthcare quality and economic prosperity when measuring societal contentment.
De Neve's research illuminates how Taiwan's cultural emphasis on communal eating creates a powerful foundation for social cohesion and psychological well-being across the island. Quantitative evidence from Gallup surveys reveals that Taiwanese residents share an average of 10.1 meals out of their weekly 14, a remarkable frequency that positions the nation among the world's leaders in communal dining practices. This statistical finding provides compelling support for the correlation between Taiwan's happiness metrics and its deeply embedded social dining traditions.
CNBC's analysis of Taiwan's happiness achievement highlighted the island's divergence from dining trends prevalent in neighboring East Asian nations like Japan and South Korea. These regional counterparts have experienced a significant shift toward isolated eating patterns, driven by demographic challenges including rapidly aging populations and the growing prevalence of single-person households. De Neve underscored the broader implications of Taiwan's communal eating habits, stating, "In this era of social isolation and political polarization, finding ways to bring people together at the dinner table is crucial for individual and collective well-being." His observation frames Taiwan's dining practices not merely as cultural traditions but as potential solutions to contemporary social challenges.
