Sapien Labs Data Featured in 2025 United Nations Human Development Report

Arlington, VA – We are pleased to share that findings from the Sapien Labs Global Mind Project have been featured in the 2025 United Nations Human Development Report, A Matter of Choice: People and Possibilities in the Age of AI.

Released this week by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the report explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping human development and emphasizes the importance of expanding people’s choices and freedoms in this new era.

Our data is featured in Spotlight 3.1, which examines the global decline in young people’s mental wellbeing, a marked shift from long-established wellbeing patterns observed in previous decades.

Drawing on Mental Health Quotient (MHQ) data from more than 100,000 people across 70 countries, our findings show a striking association between the age someone acquires their first smartphone in childhood and their subsequent mental wellbeing in young adulthood. 

Key data highlights featured in the report include:

• 45% of young adults (ages 18–24) globally experience clinically significant mental distress that affects their daily functioning.
• While mental wellbeing tends to increase with age, young people consistently report the lowest levels of wellbeing across all world regions.
• Young adults who received their first smartphone before age 13 show significantly poorer mental wellbeing, especially in areas such as social self and mood and outlook, with young women most severely affected. 

We are proud that our work is contributing to this critical global conversation and helping shape policies to safeguard wellbeing and human development in the digital age. To explore the full report, visit: https://hdr.undp.org/content/human-development-report-2025