Portland, Ore. – September 15, 2026 -- Material wealth was cited in fewer than 10 percent of conversations about prosperity in five of six countries surveyed, according to a new report from Prosper Global, formerly Mercy Corps.
Research spans 1,100 people across six conflict- and climate-affected nations
The report, titled "What It Means to Prosper," draws on 396 individual and group conversations with more than 1,100 people in Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Indonesia, Kenya, Syria, and Ukraine. Rather than impose a definition, researchers asked participants to describe prosperity and its barriers in their own words.
Community support surfaces in two-thirds of conversations
Community support appeared in more than two-thirds of the conversations, with respondents describing savings groups, local businesses, mutual aid, and resource-sharing among neighbors as active strategies rather than passive coping. Barriers varied by context, ranging from armed conflict and climate-related shocks to limited economic opportunity, particularly for younger populations.
Participants define prosperity through safety, education, and choice
Instead of wealth, respondents linked prosperity to safety, opportunity, and the capacity to plan ahead -- educating children, securing meaningful work, growing a farm or business, and retaining agency over future decisions. A woman in the DRC said prosperity is a "community effort," while a participant in Colombia stated that individual gains are of little use if others in the community are left behind.
Prosper Global CEO frames findings around interdependence
"What people told us is simple: none of us truly prospers alone," said Tjada D'Oyen McKenna, CEO of Prosper Global. She added that the organization's role begins with listening and helping communities overcome barriers too large to tackle individually.
Report launches ongoing Voices of Prosperity Initiative
The findings mark the first release under Prosper Global's Voices of Prosperity Initiative, an ongoing effort to document community perspectives on prosperity and progress. The organization reported reaching more than 36 million people in 2025.