ISTANBUL 

Nepal is the world's most "nature-connected" nation, while Spain ranks last in a study measuring emotional and psychological ties to the natural world, The Guardian reported on Saturday.

Britain was near the bottom, ranking 55th out of 61 countries, alongside the Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Israel, and Japan.

The study, published in the journal Ambio, surveyed 57,000 people across 61 nations and assessed how social, cultural, economic, and geographic factors shape attitudes toward nature.

Spain ranked last in the 61 nations surveyed, while the Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Israel, and Japan also scored below Britain.

Nepal ranked first, followed by Iran, South Africa, Bangladesh, and Nigeria. Croatia and Bulgaria were the only European countries to make the top 10, with France the next-highest European country at 19th place.

The research team, led by British and Austrian academics including Miles Richardson, professor of nature connectedness at the University of Derby, found that spirituality and religious faith were the strongest predictors of a close relationship with nature.

In contrast, the study also found that “ease of doing business” -- a World Bank measurement of the business-friendly character of a country -- was correlated with less nature connection.

According to the study, countries that rank high in "ease of doing business," a World Bank metric that indicates a market-friendly economy, have a lower nature connection.