Gross Empathic Function (GEF) Index

Get Your GEF Manual Now!: Comimg Soon

Gross Empathic Function (GEF) Global Atlas

Disclaimer:
The country data and GEF interpretations presented in this Global Atlas reflect the best available analysis generated by ChatGPT as of November 2025, based on psycho-cultural development theory and publicly accessible information. These profiles are estimates, not official statistics, and should be interpreted as conceptual guidance rather than definitive national assessments.

Tip: Click any column header to sort the table. Click Country to sort alphabetically or GEF Score to sort by emotional development level (â–˛ ascending / â–Ľ descending).

Country GEF Score Stage Summary
🇦🇷 Argentina 2.45 Stage 2 – Anger–Detachment Argentina is known for its passionate emotional culture — expressive, intense, warm, and relational. View profile
🇦🇺 Australia 3.00 Stage 3 – Guilt–Reparation Australia exhibits many characteristics of a mid-Stage 3 society. View profile
🇦🇹 Austria 3.65 Stage 4 – Freedom–Independence Austria represents a mature, stable, and relatively cohesive European democracy with strong institutions, social safety nets, and a generally high quality of life. View profile
🇧🇩 Bangladesh 1.85 Transitional (Fear–Anger System) Bangladesh’s emotional development is constrained by chronic vulnerability, environmental threat, and systemic strain. View profile
🇧🇾 Belarus 1.50 Stage 1 – Fear–Dependence Belarus is a clear example of a Stage 1–2 hybrid system in which fear, surveillance, and dependency shape emotional life. View profile
🇧🇪 Belgium 3.40 Stage 3 – Guilt–Reparation Belgium shows many of the features of a Stage 3 society: institutional attempts at fairness, strong social services, and an ongoing effort to reckon with historical and cultural fractures. View profile
🇧🇷 Brazil 2.20 Stage 2 – Anger–Detachment Brazil is characterized by intense emotional expression, creativity, and community warmth, coexisting with deep structural inequities, violence, and institutional mistrust. View profile
🇧🇬 Bulgaria 2.25 Stage 2 – Anger–Detachment Bulgaria’s emotional life reveals two contrasting systems: View profile
🇰🇭 Cambodia 1.70 Transitional (Fear–Anger System) Cambodia is a trauma-saturated, low-trust society, where deep historical wounds, poverty, and corruption coexist with strong family bonds but limited emotional safety, accountability, and trauma integration. View profile
🇨🇦 Canada 3.15 Stage 3 – Guilt–Reparation Canada exhibits many hallmarks of a Stage 3 civilization: high basic safety, a generous welfare system, and a public ethos of fairness and cooperation. View profile
🇨🇱 Chile 2.60 Stage 3 – Guilt–Reparation Chile has made significant democratic and developmental gains since the late 20th century, moving from dictatorship and fear-based control toward a more accountable, rights-oriented system. View profile
🇨🇳 China 1.95 Transitional (Fear–Anger System) China is a complex hybrid system where high material development and long civilizational history coexist with authoritarian control, censorship, and state-managed emotional life. View profile
🇨🇴 Colombia 2.30 Stage 2 – Anger–Detachment Colombia carries deep layers of unresolved trauma from decades of civil conflict, drug-related violence, and displacement. View profile
🇭🇷 Croatia 2.60 Stage 3 – Guilt–Reparation Croatia emerged from a violent conflict-laden past with a strong desire for European integration, stability, and normalization. View profile
🇨🇿 Czech Republic 3.20 Stage 3 – Guilt–Reparation The Czech Republic reflects a post-communist, EU-integrated society that has made significant institutional and cultural shifts toward freedom, pluralism, and accountability. View profile
🇩🇰 Denmark 4.00 Stage 4 – Freedom–Independence Denmark is one of the world’s most stable, secure, and socially cohesive societies. View profile
🇪🇬 Egypt 1.80 Transitional (Fear–Anger System) Egypt’s emotional landscape is shaped by millennia of civilization, religious reverence, and national pride, alongside chronic political instability, repression, and economic stress. View profile
🇪🇪 Estonia 3.60 Stage 4 – Freedom–Independence Estonia exemplifies a small but highly innovative, digital, and civic-minded democracy. View profile
🇫🇮 Finland 4.25 Stage 5 – Empathy–Integration Finland is one of the most emotionally mature and empathically integrated societies in the world. View profile
🇫🇷 France 3.20 Stage 3 – Guilt–Reparation France is a Stage 3–4 hybrid civilization with a long history of revolutionary struggle, philosophical reflection, and cultural production. View profile
🇬🇪 Georgia 2.20 Stage 2 – Anger–Detachment Georgia is a small nation with a strong sense of cultural identity, religious tradition, and historical resilience. View profile
🇩🇪 Germany 3.75 Stage 4 – Freedom–Independence Germany shows high trust, strong restorative tendencies, and mature institutional functioning. View profile
🇬🇭 Ghana 2.40 Stage 2 – Anger–Detachment Ghana is often celebrated as one of Africa’s more stable democracies, with peaceful transfers of power and a comparatively strong civic culture. View profile
🇬🇷 Greece 2.80 Stage 3 – Guilt–Reparation Greece, with its deep civilizational heritage, has endured modern crises that have stressed its institutions, economy, and emotional climate. View profile
🇬🇹 Guatemala 1.80 Transitional (Fear–Anger System) Guatemala remains heavily impacted by historic and recent violence, inequality, and corruption. View profile
🇭🇹 Haiti 1.30 Stage 1 – Fear–Dependence Haiti is one of the most trauma-saturated societies in the modern world. View profile
🇭🇳 Honduras 1.60 Transitional (Fear–Anger System) Honduras has one of the highest levels of violence, gang influence, and institutional fragility in the Western Hemisphere. View profile
🇭🇺 Hungary 2.40 Stage 2 – Anger–Detachment Hungary is often cited as an example of democratic backsliding within the European Union. View profile
🇮🇸 Iceland 3.80 Stage 4 – Freedom–Independence Iceland is a small, tightly knit society with high levels of trust, gender equality, and social services. View profile
🇮🇳 India 2.20 Stage 2 – Anger–Detachment India is a vast, pluralistic democracy with extraordinary cultural, linguistic, and religious diversity. View profile
🇮🇩 Indonesia 2.35 Stage 2 – Anger–Detachment Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim-majority democracy, spanning thousands of islands and hundreds of ethnic groups. View profile
🇮🇷 Iran 1.75 Transitional (Fear–Anger System) Iran is a theocratic-authoritarian system with a rich cultural and intellectual history. View profile
🇮🇶 Iraq 1.40 Stage 1 – Fear–Dependence Iraq has endured decades of war, sanctions, invasion, sectarian conflict, and ongoing instability. View profile
🇮🇪 Ireland 3.40 Stage 3 – Guilt–Reparation Ireland has undergone a remarkable transformation from a conservative, church-dominated society to a more liberal, pluralistic, and self-reflective one. View profile
🇮🇱 Israel 2.20 Stage 2 – Anger–Detachment Israel is a society under chronic existential threat, with deep historical trauma, intense internal polarization, and ongoing conflict with Palestinians and neighboring states. View profile
🇮🇹 Italy 2.90 Stage 3 – Guilt–Reparation Italy is emotionally expressive, family-centered, and culturally rich, with deep historical layering and regional diversity. View profile
🇯🇵 Japan 3.15 Stage 3 – Guilt–Reparation Japan’s system is emotionally regulated, orderly, and safe, but tends toward emotional reserve and avoidance of direct conflict. View profile
🇯🇴 Jordan 2.10 Stage 2 – Anger–Detachment Jordan occupies a precarious geopolitical position and hosts large numbers of refugees. View profile
🇰🇪 Kenya 2.10 Stage 2 – Anger–Detachment Kenya is a rapidly developing African country with significant economic and technological growth, especially in urban areas. View profile
🇰🇼 Kuwait 2.40 Stage 2 – Anger–Detachment Kuwait is a small, oil-rich monarchy with high per-capita income and an extensive welfare state. View profile
🇱🇻 Latvia 3.10 Stage 3 – Guilt–Reparation Latvia is a post-Soviet, EU member state working to consolidate its democratic institutions and multi-ethnic identity. View profile
🇱🇧 Lebanon 1.60 Transitional (Fear–Anger System) Lebanon has endured civil war, foreign interventions, economic collapse, and institutional breakdown. View profile
🇱🇷 Liberia 1.50 Stage 1 – Fear–Dependence Liberia has suffered from brutal civil wars, economic hardship, and Ebola outbreaks. View profile
🇱🇹 Lithuania 3.10 Stage 3 – Guilt–Reparation Lithuania, like its Baltic neighbors, has made a strong pivot away from Soviet-style governance toward EU integration, democracy, and market reforms. View profile
🇱🇺 Luxembourg 3.70 Stage 4 – Freedom–Independence Luxembourg is a small, wealthy, and politically stable country with a high standard of living and a cosmopolitan population. View profile
🇲🇾 Malaysia 2.30 Stage 2 – Anger–Detachment Malaysia is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious country with moderate development and political complexity. View profile
🇲🇽 Mexico 2.10 Stage 2 – Anger–Detachment Mexico is marked by high levels of violence, organized crime, and impunity, alongside strong cultural warmth, family cohesion, and resilience. View profile
🇲🇩 Moldova 2.20 Stage 2 – Anger–Detachment Moldova is one of Europe’s poorest countries, shaped by Soviet legacy, corruption, and migration. View profile
🇲🇦 Morocco 2.10 Stage 2 – Anger–Detachment Morocco is a monarchy with gradual reforms, significant tourism and trade, and persistent inequalities. View profile
🇳🇵 Nepal 2.00 Transitional (Fear–Anger System) Nepal is a low-income, mountainous country with a history of monarchy, civil war, and political instability. View profile
🇳🇱 Netherlands 3.95 Stage 4 – Freedom–Independence The Netherlands is a highly developed, liberal democracy with strong institutions and a robust welfare state. View profile
🇳🇿 New Zealand 3.80 Stage 4 – Freedom–Independence New Zealand is widely recognized for its social trust, effective governance, and relatively empathic political culture. View profile
🇳🇮 Nicaragua 1.60 Transitional (Fear–Anger System) Nicaragua has experienced authoritarian consolidation, repression, and economic hardship. View profile
🇳🇬 Nigeria 1.90 Transitional (Fear–Anger System) Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country, with immense cultural diversity, natural resources, and economic potential. View profile
🇰🇵 North Korea 0.80 Stage 1 – Fear–Dependence North Korea is an extreme example of a fear-based authoritarian regime. View profile
🇲🇰 North Macedonia 2.30 Stage 2 – Anger–Detachment North Macedonia is a small Balkan state working through ethnic tensions, identity disputes, and EU integration challenges. View profile
🇳🇴 Norway 4.15 Stage 5 – Empathy–Integration Norway is a wealthy, egalitarian welfare state with high social trust, strong public services, and a reflective approach to historical wrongs. View profile
🇵🇰 Pakistan 1.80 Transitional (Fear–Anger System) Pakistan is a nuclear-armed state facing terrorism, political instability, and economic challenges. View profile
🇵🇸 Palestine (Occupied Territories) 1.40 Stage 1 – Fear–Dependence The Palestinian territories are marked by occupation, displacement, and chronic insecurity. View profile
🇵🇦 Panama 2.40 Stage 2 – Anger–Detachment Panama is a small, service-based economy built around the Panama Canal. View profile
🇵🇪 Peru 2.20 Stage 2 – Anger–Detachment Peru’s emotional climate is shaped by political volatility, inequality, and unresolved historical trauma. View profile
🇵🇭 Philippines 2.10 Stage 2 – Anger–Detachment The Philippines is an archipelagic nation with strong family ties, religious faith, and community networks, but also significant violence, poverty, and corruption. View profile
🇵🇱 Poland 2.70 Stage 3 – Guilt–Reparation Poland is a post-communist EU member state with a strong Catholic tradition, rising nationalism, and a complex relationship to its history. View profile
🇵🇹 Portugal 3.20 Stage 3 – Guilt–Reparation Portugal is a relatively peaceful, democratic country with modest economic resources and strong community and family ties. View profile
🇷🇴 Romania 2.50 Stage 2 – Anger–Detachment Romania is a post-communist state with ongoing struggles against corruption, inequality, and brain drain. View profile
🇷🇺 Russia 1.70 Transitional (Fear–Anger System) Russia is a heavily militarized, authoritarian regime with deep historical trauma, propaganda, and repression. View profile
🇷🇼 Rwanda 2.40 Stage 2 – Anger–Detachment Rwanda is globally known for the 1994 genocide and its subsequent recovery and reconstruction. View profile
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia 1.90 Transitional (Fear–Anger System) Saudi Arabia is a wealthy, highly controlled monarchy with significant human rights concerns. View profile
🇸🇳 Senegal 2.40 Stage 2 – Anger–Detachment Senegal is one of West Africa’s more stable democracies with strong Sufi Islamic traditions and relatively peaceful politics. View profile
🇷🇸 Serbia 2.40 Stage 2 – Anger–Detachment Serbia is a Balkan state with lingering ethnic tensions, war memories, and contested narratives about responsibility. View profile
🇸🇱 Sierra Leone 1.70 Transitional (Fear–Anger System) Sierra Leone has a history of brutal civil war, blood diamonds, and Ebola, but has made strides in peacebuilding and democracy. View profile
🇸🇬 Singapore 3.15 Stage 3 – Guilt–Reparation Singapore is a highly efficient, safe, and economically successful city-state. View profile
🇸🇰 Slovakia 2.90 Stage 3 – Guilt–Reparation Slovakia is a small Central European democracy with EU and NATO membership. View profile
🇸🇮 Slovenia 3.40 Stage 3 – Guilt–Reparation Slovenia is one of the more prosperous and stable post-Yugoslav states. View profile
🇿🇦 South Africa 2.20 Stage 2 – Anger–Detachment South Africa’s emotional structure reflects a profound duality. View profile
🇰🇷 South Korea 2.35 Stage 2 – Anger–Detachment South Korea combines high development with high emotional pressure, hierarchical structures, and performance-driven environments. View profile
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka 2.00 Transitional (Fear–Anger System) Sri Lanka has experienced civil war, ethnic tensions, and recent economic crisis. View profile
🇪🇸 Spain 2.85 Stage 3 – Guilt–Reparation Spain is a democratic country with strong regional identities, high youth unemployment, and an emotionally expressive culture. View profile
🇸🇩 Sudan 1.20 Stage 1 – Fear–Dependence Sudan has a long history of civil war, coups, genocide, and humanitarian crises. View profile
🇸🇪 Sweden 4.35 Stage 5 – Empathy–Integration Sweden exhibits systemic empathic functioning across institutions, emotional literacy, strong family support, and transparent governance. View profile
🇨🇭 Switzerland 3.85 Stage 4 – Freedom–Independence Switzerland is known for stability, neutrality, direct democracy, and high living standards. View profile
🇸🇾 Syria 0.90 Stage 1 – Fear–Dependence Syria has been devastated by civil war, displacement, and authoritarian rule. View profile
🇹🇼 Taiwan 3.00 Stage 3 – Guilt–Reparation Taiwan is a vibrant democracy under constant geopolitical pressure. View profile
🇹🇿 Tanzania 2.10 Stage 2 – Anger–Detachment Tanzania is a relatively stable East African country with low income and significant rural population. View profile
🇹🇭 Thailand 2.20 Stage 2 – Anger–Detachment Thailand is a middle-income country with tourism, political instability, and a strong monarchy. View profile
🇹🇬 Togo 1.60 Transitional (Fear–Anger System) Togo is a small West African country with long-standing authoritarian rule and limited institutional development. View profile
🇹🇷 Turkey 2.20 Stage 2 – Anger–Detachment Turkey is a regional power with a history of coups, polarization, and authoritarian trends. View profile
🇺🇬 Uganda 1.90 Transitional (Fear–Anger System) Uganda has experienced authoritarian rule, conflict, and recent anti-LGBTQ legislation. View profile
🇺🇦 Ukraine 2.20 Stage 2 – Anger–Detachment Ukraine is currently under invasion and war, which reshapes its emotional landscape. View profile
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates 2.60 Stage 3 – Guilt–Reparation The UAE is a wealthy, rapidly modernized federation with high inequality between citizens and migrant workers. View profile
🇬🇧 United Kingdom 3.20 Stage 3 – Guilt–Reparation The United Kingdom is a mature democracy with strong institutions but deep class, regional, and cultural divides. View profile
🇺🇸 United States of America 2.00 Transitional (Fear–Anger System) The United States shows a mixture of emotional modernity and deep structural trauma. View profile
🇺🇾 Uruguay 3.30 Stage 3 – Guilt–Reparation Uruguay is a small South American democracy with strong social policies and relatively low inequality. View profile
🇻🇪 Venezuela 1.50 Stage 1 – Fear–Dependence Venezuela is in severe political, economic, and humanitarian crisis. View profile
🇻🇳 Vietnam 2.20 Stage 2 – Anger–Detachment Vietnam is a one-party socialist republic with rapid economic growth and enduring war memories. View profile
🇾🇪 Yemen 0.90 Stage 1 – Fear–Dependence Yemen is in one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with war, famine, and disease. View profile
🇿🇲 Zambia 2.00 Transitional (Fear–Anger System) Zambia is a relatively peaceful country facing economic challenges and limited institutional capacity. View profile
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe 1.60 Transitional (Fear–Anger System) Zimbabwe has endured hyperinflation, authoritarian rule, and economic collapse. View profile

What Gross Empathic Function (GEF) Global Atlas Measure

The Gross Empathic Function (GEF) Index is a new global measure of a society’s emotional development. It evaluates how effectively families, institutions, governments, and cultures:

  • transform fear into safety

  • anger into dialogue

  • shame into accountability

  • trauma into integration

This Global Atlas presents country-level GEF scores based on the Five-Stage Civilization Model (Kim, 2021) and research in attachment, object relations, mentalization, polyvagal theory, restorative justice, and collective trauma.

What the GEF Scores Mean

Each country receives a 0–5 GEF score derived from:

  • 20 indicators of empathic functioning

  • grouped into five major domains (e.g., safety, justice, governance, education/media, and collective trauma)

  • scored using a developmental lens rather than a purely economic or political one

The result is a single score that maps to a strict developmental stage of emotional civilization.

The Five Stages of Emotional Civilization

In the GEF framework, scores are interpreted using the Five-Stage Civilization Model:

  • 4.1–5.0 → Stage 5 (Empathy–Integration)
    Empathy is structurally embedded. Institutions anticipate vulnerability, protect dignity, and prioritize repair over punishment.

  • 3.6–4.0 → Stage 4 (Freedom–Independence)
    Strong rights, rule of law, and individual freedom, with growing awareness of trauma and inclusion—but empathy is still unevenly distributed.

  • 2.6–3.5 → Stage 3 (Guilt–Reparation)
    Societies recognize harm and attempt reparation, often oscillating between punitive reflexes and genuine efforts at healing.

  • 2.1–2.5 → Stage 2 (Anger–Detachment)
    Emotional life is polarized. Anger, hostility, and scapegoating dominate public discourse. Punitive justice and adversarial politics are common.

  • 1.6–2.0 → Transitional (Fear–Anger System)
    Societies move between fear-based control and angry rebellion. Institutions are fragile, and safety is inconsistent.

  • 0–1.5 → Stage 1 (Fear–Dependence)
    Chronic fear, insecurity, and dependence on authoritarian power. Violence, corruption, and trauma are normalized and rarely addressed.

These stages are developmental, not moral labels: they describe where a society currently functions emotionally, not its “worth” or potential.

About the GEF Country Atlas

This page is the entry point to the GEF Country Atlas.

For each country, you will find:

  • Overall GEF score (0–5)

  • Stage classification (1–5)

  • Profile of 20 indicators across the five domains

  • Narrative interpretation of the country’s empathic strengths and vulnerabilities

  • Developmental trajectory (e.g., “stable Stage 4,” “transitional 2→3,” “regressing 3→2”)

Taken together, these profiles offer a psycho-cultural map of how different societies handle fear, anger, shame, and trauma in public and private life.

How to Use This Page

Use the table and filters below to explore countries by name, region, or stage:

  • Search by country name

  • Filter by developmental stage (1–5)

  • Filter by region (e.g., Europe, Asia, Americas, Africa, Oceania)

  • Click “View profile” to open a detailed page for each country

On each country’s page, you will see:

  1. A header summary (score + stage + one-sentence headline)

  2. A 20-indicator table

  3. A developmental interpretation written in plain language

  4. A trajectory section describing likely movement (upward, downward, or oscillating) in the coming decades

Global Snapshot (Research Draft)

This atlas currently includes [75 countries] compiled from the most recent available data and psycho-cultural analysis.

  • Highest GEF scores cluster in societies with:

    • high emotional and physical safety

    • trauma-informed justice systems

    • robust social trust and institutional transparency

  • Lowest GEF scores appear where:

    • chronic fear, violence, and corruption are normalized

    • justice systems are primarily punitive

    • generational trauma remains unacknowledged and unintegrated

Most societies fall between 1.5 and 3.5, reflecting a mixed emotional structure: empathic “islands” inside still-punitive or fear-based systems.

(All scores are research estimates and will be refined as more data and feedback become available.)

Reading the Scores Responsibly

The GEF Index is designed as a developmental tool, not a weapon for national pride or shaming.

  • It highlights patterns, not absolute truths.

  • It invites reflection and dialogue, not blame.

  • It encourages policy, educational, and family-level interventions that move societies toward Stage 5 (Empathy–Integration).

A lower score is not a verdict—it is a call to healing and a map for where empathic infrastructure is most urgently needed.

Methodology and Sources

A full description of:

  • indicator definitions and scoring rules

  • data sources and rating procedures

  • reliability and limitations

  • psycho-cultural theory behind the Index

is available on the dedicated methodology page:

Learn more: [About the GEF Index – Methodology]

Future Updates

The GEF Atlas is an ongoing research project. As new data, feedback, and collaborative studies emerge, country scores and interpretations may be updated.

Our long-term goal is to support:

  • families seeking empathic parenting frameworks

  • schools and workplaces building empathic cultures

  • governments and NGOs designing trauma-informed policies

  • citizens and activists working toward a truly Stage 5 civilization