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espite its status as a developing nation, Indonesia has one of the lowest stress levels in the world thanks to its easy-going nature, according to a recently released survey.

The 360° Wellness Survey by Cigna insurance reported that Indonesia had the lowest self-reported stress levels out of 23 surveyed countries, which included Singapore, Thailand, France and Spain.

Based on the survey, which involved 14,500 respondents, the stress level of respondents in Indonesia was only 61 points, compared to the global average of 61.2.

India was named the most stressed country with 70.4 points.

The survey also found that only 75 percent of respondents claimed they suffered from stress, lower than the global average of 86 percent.

In neighboring Singapore and Thailand, 91 percent of respondents acknowledged that they suffered from stress.

“The main causes of stress include the work environment and personal finance,” Cigna Indonesia director Ben Furneaux said.

Poor relations with superiors and the inability to cater to parents’ needs were common stressors, Furneaux added.

Nevertheless, the result is surprising as Indonesia’s developmental indicators are quite poor.

Official data shows that 36 percent of Indonesian children aged 5 and under are stunted, 7 million people were unemployed last year and 25.95 million people are still living below the bread line.

Indonesia’s happiness rate had also increased in the past years, according to a national agency.

Overall scores indicating happiness in the country, which were measured by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), increased by 1.23 points to 69.51 last year from 68.28 (out of 100) in 2014.

The 2017 index surveyed satisfaction over quality of life, feelings and the meaning of life while the 2014 index only surveyed satisfaction over quality of life.

North Maluku, Gorontalo, Papua, Bangka Belitung, West Sumatra and Aceh were among the provinces with the highest increase in points, while Jambi, South Kalimantan, Riau Islands, North Sumatra, Central Kalimantan and Lampung saw a decrease in points.

According to the majority of Indonesian respondents, they managed stress by sharing their psychological burden with friends and families.

Imam Shofwan, a freelance writer with a wife and daughter, subscribes to this.

“My wife and I share the same profession so we share everything from work schedules to the cost of living,” he said. “I’m also happy because I have a cute daughter who cheers me up.”

Staying cheerful, Imam said, was a common way for many Indonesians to keep stress at bay.

University of Indonesia psychologists Herlani Wijayanti and Fivi Nurwianti suggested that a local culture that valued submission was key to life satisfaction in Indonesia.

In a 2010 coauthored research paper, they analyzed one aspect of the Javanese ethnic group, which accounts for 42 percent of Indonesia’s population, and found that those who prize gratitude, kindness, citizenship, fairness and leadership were the happiest.

They concluded that the Javanese signature gotong-royong (collectivist culture) and nrima (passive acceptance of one’s God-given fate), made the people happier because it enforced these particular values.

Soegijapranata Catholic University psychologist Endang Widyorini stated that the passive acceptance culture had, by now, been instilled in all Indonesians.

She queried the accuracy of Cigna’s survey because Indonesian culture dictated the holding back of expressing negativity.

“It’s always been culturally embedded so we cannot bluntly say, ‘I don’t want it’, or ‘I don’t like it,’” Endang explained. (nor)