Nepal ranked the most nature-connected nation, while Britain falls near the bottom
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Nepal has been identified as the most “nature connected” country globally, according to a major global study examining how people emotionally and psychologically relate to the natural world.
The research surveyed 57,000 people across 61 countries and placed Nepal at the very top of the index.
Iran, South Africa, Bangladesh, and Nigeria followed close behind.
Despite having one of the world’s highest levels of environmental organisation membership, Britain ranked only 55th among the least nature-connected societies globally. Only six nations ranked lower than Britain, including the Netherlands, English-speaking Canada, Germany, Israel, and Japan, while Spain was placed last at 61st.
Among European nations, only Croatia and Bulgaria appeared in the top ten, while France ranked 19th.
The study, published in the journal Ambio, analysed how cultural, social, economic, and geographical factors shape human attitudes towards nature.
Researchers involved in the study said that spirituality emerged as the strongest predictor of closeness to nature. Societies where religion plays a central role and where faith is prioritised over scientific rationalism tend to show stronger emotional bonds with the natural world.
Meanwhile, countries with high levels of internet use, higher average income, and greater urbanisation appeared to show weaker levels of nature connection. The “ease of doing business” index, which measures how business-friendly a country is, was also said to be correlated with lower levels of nature connection.
Nature connectedness is a psychological concept used to measure how deeply people feel related to other species and ecosystems.
Previous research has shown that people who feel more connected to nature tend to have better well-being and are more likely to engage in environmentally friendly behaviour. Low levels of nature connection were described as one of the core underlying factors driving global biodiversity loss, alongside inequality and materialistic priorities.
The study suggested that nature could be integrated more meaningfully into health systems, law, and business. It mentioned the possibility of greater use of natural environments in public health settings and the option of creating legal frameworks that recognise some form of rights for nature.