Britain has been ranked 55th out of 61 nations in a global study measuring how closely people feel connected to the natural world, placing it among the least “nature-connected” countries worldwide.
The research, published in Ambio, surveyed 57,000 people across 61 nations. Nepal topped the list, followed by Iran, South Africa, Bangladesh, and Nigeria. At the bottom were the Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Israel, Japan, and Spain, which ranked last.
The study, led by Prof Miles Richardson of the University of Derby, found that a strong sense of spirituality and faith was the best predictor of connection to nature, while countries with higher urbanisation, income, and internet use tended to score lower. Business-focused societies also showed weaker relationships with nature.
Despite Britain’s high rate of environmental group membership, this had little effect on people’s sense of closeness to the natural world. Richardson said modern Britain’s “rational, economic and scientific” culture had distanced people from nature.
He suggested solutions such as incorporating nature into healthcare, business decision-making, and city planning. “It’s not just about adding parks,” he said. “We need to make nature feel sacred again.”
Bishop Graham Usher, the Church of England’s lead on environmental affairs, said reconnecting with nature also nourishes the spirit: “What we notice, we begin to love — and what we love, we want to protect.”
