Britain may be famed for its rolling dales and rugged coastlines, but when it comes to forging a connection with the natural world, the nation sits near the bottom of the global league table. At least, that is the stark message behind new research from the University of Derby, asking why some societies feel at home in the living world – while others, like Britain, remain curiously adrift from it.

Drawing on existing data from more than 60 countries and nearly 57,000 participants, the study – led by Professor Miles Richardson, professor of Nature Connectedness at the University of Derby – compares the world’s most nature-connected nations with those deemed to be most detached.

Nepal emerges as the global leader, with Iran, South Africa, Bangladesh, and Nigeria following close behind – countries where daily life more routinely intersects with ecological rhythms. Europe, however, paints a very different picture. Only Croatia and Bulgaria break into the top 10. France lingers in 19th place while Britain and Spain, despite their storied landscapes, rank among the least connected of all.

This work forms part of a growing body of research from the University of Derby’s Nature Connectedness Research Group, which has consistently shown that individuals who feel closely tied to nature enjoy better wellbeing and exhibit stronger pro-environmental behaviour. The inverse carries serious ecological implications: low nature connectedness has been identified as one of the three major drivers of biodiversity loss – alongside societal inequality and the prioritisation of individual, material gain.

One of the study’s most intriguing findings is the role of spirituality. Societies with higher levels of religious engagement – and a cultural inclination to favour faith over strictly scientific worldviews – tended to report stronger connections with nature. Urbanisation, by contrast, proved to be one of the strongest negative predictors, as did the World Bank’s measure of “ease of doing business.”

Higher national incomes and heavier internet use also correlated with declining connection to the natural world.

To help decode these patterns, Professor Richardson has introduced what he has called the ‘X Model’, a new framework for mapping the macro-level social and cultural forces that foster – or fracture – our relationship with nature.

“Nature connectedness is not just about what we do, but how we feel, think, and value our place in the living world,” he said. “We have become a more rational, economic and scientific society, and while that has brought some fantastic benefits, it is how we balance them with the unforeseen problems.

“This report combined statistical modelling, network analysis, and theoretical interpretation to identify which societal conditions and shared values are most strongly associated with nature connectedness. The results offer a compelling picture of how modern life shapes our relationship with nature – and where we might intervene to restore it.”

Richardson suggests that boosting national nature connectedness will require action across sectors: integrating natural environments into NHS mental- and public-health treatments; developing legal “rights of nature”; and embedding nature into boardrooms through regulations such as biodiversity net gain.

“We need to find ways to reintegrate natural thinking in our highly technological world,” he added. “The model offers a starting point, a framework for thinking differently. It is difficult to change cultures, but it is about mainstreaming the value of nature, making it integral to our wellbeing, so it becomes respected and almost sacred.”

For a country grappling with its own ecological crossroads, the findings pose a profound question: in the rush toward progress, what parts of the natural world – and ourselves – have we left behind?

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