How Life is Changing in Cities, Towns and Villages Today
Home is both a practical address and an emotional place. It sets the rhythm of our days, the quality of our rest, and the kind of future we imagine. The latest TPS Pulse Research for Theme 8: Home and Heart, across 60+ countries, shows a world that is mostly content, often cautious, and increasingly tuned to the small details that make life feel safe and worth living.
Globally, 72% feel satisfied with the quality of life where they live. 78% say they felt safe in their neighbourhood in the last year. About 68% feel connected to the culture around them, and 73% travel at least once a year for leisure. People also feel broadly adaptable: 71% rate themselves as confident in coping with rapid change. Yet the report is not all calm: only 42% say their environment has improved in recent years, and concerns such as climate, inflation, and safety crop up frequently across markets.
Different countries tell different stories. India and the UAE are among the most satisfied and the most optimistic. The United Kingdom reports steady satisfaction but lower cultural intensity. The United States mixes strong travel habits with middling cultural connectedness. Brazil, South Africa, and Nigeria show more mixed emotional terrain where safety, cost, and infrastructure shape daily life. These contrasts help us see what people really want from the places they live.
What We Asked
We explored people’s satisfaction with life where they live, how safe they feel in their neighborhood, what shapes day-to-day life, whether environments are improving, how connected people feel to culture, how often they travel for leisure, how adaptable they feel, and which worries shape daily decisions.
Are you satisfied with your quality of life?
What people said
Globally, 71.8% feel satisfied or very satisfied. That is a strong baseline. But the 22.1% who are neutral matter a lot. Neutrality often signals people who could tip toward optimism or frustration, depending on small changes such as cost, safety, or local services.
Markets tell different emotional stories. United Arab Emirates reports 84.6% satisfied or very satisfied and India is high too at 81.5%. The United Kingdom sits at 77.8%, steady and calm. The United States is a little lower at 64.3%, showing practical strengths paired with some everyday friction. South Africa and Brazil are more mixed at 60.2% and 56.4% respectively, reflecting economic pressures and local challenges. Nigeria is lower at 50.7%, indicating life is often a tougher balance there.
What this means for the minority. If 72% are satisfied, the remaining 28% are not a small group. They include people squeezed by cost of living, by poor services, or by safety worries. In markets where satisfaction is lower, that 28% is where policy makers, local services, and community leaders could focus their energy to move the needle.
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How safe do you feel?
Across a long list of factors, cost of living and job opportunities top the global importance list, closely followed by healthcare access, pollution, and public services. Clean streets and social environment also matter, because daily life is the sum of small things done well.
When people say cost matters most, they are telling us that economic pressure shows up in everyday choices: whether to eat out, to commute, or to take a holiday. When they say healthcare and pollution matter, they are talking about risk and future planning.
Market flavour. In Mexico, Brazil, and Nigeria, cost and job concerns are especially intense. In the UAE and Saudi Arabia, public services and safety get more weight. In India, job opportunities and healthcare are top priorities
What shapes your daily life?
Across a long list of factors, cost of living and job opportunities top the global importance list, closely followed by healthcare access, pollution, and public services. Clean streets and social environment also matter, because daily life is the sum of small things done well.
When people say cost matters most, they are telling us that economic pressure shows up in everyday choices: whether to eat out, to commute, or to take a holiday. When they say healthcare and pollution matter, they are talking about risk and future planning.
Market flavour. In Mexico, Brazil, and Nigeria, cost and job concerns are especially intense. In the UAE and Saudi Arabia, public services and safety get more weight. In India, job opportunities and healthcare are top priorities.
How much has your environment changed?
Combined, 42.4% say their environment is either slightly or much improved. That is hopeful, but not overwhelming. India shows strong optimism with around 52% reporting improvement, split between much and slightly improved. UAE also reports strong improvement. By contrast, South Africa and Brazil show more “same” or worse responses.
What the other side of the number says. When 28.5% say things are the same and about 29% say things have gotten worse, it suggests that for many people the systems that influence daily life feel stuck. That is a call for targeted improvements that people can notice quickly, like cleaner streets, better public services, or safer public spaces.
Are you connected to the culture around you?
In total, 67.6% feel culturally connected. India and UAE lead with about 79% and 78% respectively. Philippines reports 69%, showing strong cultural ties. United States and UK are lower on cultural intensity, suggesting that people there feel culture in more private or individual ways.
Why culture matters. Cultural connectedness becomes the glue for local communities. It affects how people celebrate, how they help each other, and how they defend or change their neighbourhoods.
Do you still travel?
Globally, 73.1% take at least one leisure trip a year. UAE is the most travel-ready with 93.4% taking at least one trip, followed by India at 77.9% and US at 73.8%. Brazil and Nigeria show more limited travel, partly because of costs and connectivity.
What travel reveals. Travel is both a sign of disposable time and disposable income, and a signal of how people recharge. Where travel is low, people tend to rely more on local leisure and community events.
Are you adaptable?
Around 70.7% rate themselves as adaptable. Philippines and UAE show the highest adaptability scores at 84.6% and 78.0% respectively. India reports 79.8%, showing strong self-efficacy. United States is lower at 47.6%, suggesting different cultural frames for change and adaptation.
Why this matters. Adaptability predicts how communities absorb shocks, whether economic or environmental. Higher adaptability makes transitions easier, and it supports local innovation.
What This Means
- Most people feel content where they live, and safety is strong in many places. Yet contentment is fragile for nearly a third of people who are neutral or dissatisfied.
- Practical issues like cost, jobs, healthcare, and pollution are the day-to-day levers that change quality of life. Small improvements here yield big emotional returns.
- Cultural connectedness and travel remain important wellbeing boosters, but they are uneven across markets.
- While 42% report environmental improvement, nearly the same share see no change or worse conditions, so local public investment still matters.
- High self-reported adaptability across many markets suggests communities are prepared to change, but policy and services must catch up.
In Closing
Where we live shapes how we live. From the busy lanes of India to the skylines of the UAE, from steady suburbs in the UK to mixed realities in Brazil and South Africa, people want the same simple things: safety, decent services, cultural life, and the feeling that things are getting better. Small changes in the day-to-day — cleaner streets, reliable healthcare, safer neighbourhoods — are what will move the largest number of people from neutral to genuinely satisfied.
TPS is a living, global community that turns everyday opinions into insights that matter. These findings are not abstractions; they are reflections of how people build lives where they live, and what they need next.
Disclaimer:
These insights are not just for brands; they are for anyone trying to understand how decisions are made in 2025-26. The more people share, the clearer the picture becomes.
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FAQ's
1. How do people experience their surroundings in daily life?
People experience their surroundings in three main ways: the physical places they visit (like their home, neighborhood, or workplace), the people they interact with, and the online world they’re part of. How good or bad these experiences feel depends on things like whether they feel safe, how easy it is to get around, how friendly their community is, and whether basic things like roads, parks, and public transport work well.
2. What factors influence how people feel about their societies today?
How people feel about their societies is influenced by economic conditions, social trust, public services, and a sense of inclusion. Media and digital discourse also play a growing role in shaping societal perceptions.
3. Do people feel more connected or disconnected from society?
People today feel both connected and disconnected in different ways. Technology helps many stay in touch and share moments more easily, but that doesn’t always translate into real closeness. For others, social divisions, financial pressure, and busy routines create a sense of distance from society.
4. How do urban and rural environments shape experiences?
Urban environments often offer greater access to services and opportunities, while rural settings may provide stronger community ties and connection to nature. Each shapes daily experiences and social interaction differently.
5. How does safety affect people’s experience of their surroundings?
Safety strongly affects how people experience their surroundings. Feeling safe influences mobility, social interaction, and overall well-being, while concerns about safety can limit participation in public spaces.
6. What role does community play in shaping societal experience?
Community plays a key role by fostering belonging, trust, and mutual support. Strong communities help people navigate challenges and create positive shared experiences.
7. How do social changes impact everyday life?
Social changes shape everyday life in many subtle and obvious ways. As work patterns, technology, and family structures evolve, they shift how people interact, communicate, and manage their routines. These changes can influence everything from how we spend our time to how we connect with others.
8. Are people more aware of societal issues today?
Yes, people are more aware of societal issues due to constant information access. Digital media increases exposure to global and local challenges, shaping opinions and emotional responses.
9. How do people adapt to changing social environments?
People adapt to changing social environments much the way they adjust to shifting seasons, slowly at first, then naturally, as new patterns begin to feel familiar. They reshape their habits, explore new ways of connecting, and look for communities that offer support and understanding.
