Ranked: What Matters Most in Life in the U.S., UK, and Germany
See visuals like this from many other data creators on our Voronoi app. Download it for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Key Takeaways
- Family life ranks as the top priority in all three countries, especially in the UK.
- Americans place more emphasis on personal growth and faith, while Germans prioritize health and security.
If you had to choose just three things that matter most in life, what would they be?
Across the U.S., UK, and Germany, family and health dominate. But after that, national differences emerge. Germans lean toward security and stability. Americans stand out for money, growth, and faith. In the UK, work-life balance comes into the fold as a top priority.
The data for this visualization comes from Statista Consumer Insights. Over 1,000 adults per country were surveyed in January 2026 and asked to select up to three personal values that matter most in their lives.
Family Comes First
Family life ranks as the most important value in all three countries.
In the UK, 51% of respondents selected family as a top priority, the highest share among the three nations. Germany follows at 43%, while 42% of Americans say family matters most.
| Priority Category |  United Kingdom (%) |
 Germany (%) |
 United States (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family-life | 51 | 43 | 42 |
| Health | 44 | 49 | 40 |
| Making money | 25 | – | 26 |
| Work-life balance | 24 | – | – |
| Safety/security | 22 | 30 | – |
| Freedom/independence | – | 27 | – |
| Friendships | – | 26 | – |
| Personal growth | – | – | 24 |
| Faith/spirituality | – | – | 21 |
Because respondents could choose multiple answers, percentages do not sum to 100%.
Health and Security Stand Out in Germany
Germans place a particularly strong emphasis on health, with 49% identifying it as a top value.
Safety and security (30%) and freedom/independence (27%) also rank highly in Germany. Friendships, at 26%, further suggest a focus on stability and social cohesion.
Money, Growth, and Faith in the U.S.
In the United States, making money ranks relatively high at 26%, slightly above the UK (25%).
Americans are also more likely to prioritize personal growth (24%) and faith or spirituality (21%), categories that did not rank among the top responses in the UK or Germany.
Work-life balance, cited by 24% in the UK, stands out as a distinctly British priority in this comparison.
Learn More on the Voronoi App 
If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Which Countries Are Diligent About Medical Check-Ups? on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.
