As the year draws to a close, the tradition of digital recaps has moved beyond music streaming. Oura, the company behind the popular smart ring, has released its annual "Year in Review" report, offering a data-driven look back at 2025. By aggregating anonymized data from its global user base, the report paints a detailed picture of worldwide trends in sleep, activity, and physiological stress, revealing surprising regional differences and personal insights for millions of users.
Oura Launches Personalized Year-End Data Recap
Following the model popularized by Spotify Wrapped, Oura has made its Year in Review feature available to all members with at least 60 days of data. Accessible within the Oura app's Today tab under Reports, this personalized summary allows users to see their yearly trends in readiness, sleep, and activity scores. It highlights personal milestones, such as the day they experienced the most physiological stress, their napping frequency, and their dominant activity patterns. Furthermore, users are assigned one of four personality types—Earth, Water, Fire, or Air—based on whether their data shows a tendency for solid recovery, prioritized sleep, high activity, or regular restoration.
Global Data Highlights Regional Champions and Stress Hotspots
Oura's aggregated data uncovers fascinating geographical trends. When it comes to activity, users in Ireland led the world, averaging an impressive 8,924 steps per day. They were closely followed by Spain (8,914 steps) and Italy (8,907 steps). For sleep quality, New Zealand claimed the top spot with an average sleep score of 80 out of 100, with Australia, Denmark, and Austria not far behind. However, the report also identified a significant stress hotspot. Users in the United States recorded the highest average of daily stressed minutes at 121.2, placing them ahead of the Netherlands (120 minutes) and Norway (118 minutes).
Top Countries by Metric (2025 Averages):
- Most Daily Steps: Ireland (8,924), Spain (8,914), Italy (8,907)
- Highest Sleep Score: New Zealand (80/100), Australia (79.4/100), Denmark & Austria (79/100)
- Most Daily Stressed Minutes: United States (121.2 min), Netherlands (120 min), Norway (118 min)
Gender Disparities in Sleep and Stress Emerge from the Data
A deeper dive into the data reveals notable differences between men and women who use the Oura Ring. On average, women who identified as such in the app logged more sleep (7.24 hours per night) and achieved higher sleep and activity scores than their male counterparts, who averaged 6.8 hours of sleep. Paradoxically, women also reported a significantly higher burden of physiological stress, averaging 129 stressed minutes per day compared to men's 97 minutes. Oura commented on this finding, noting that while women appear to be prioritizing rest and movement, they "seem to carry a heavier stress load."
Gender-Based Averages (2025):
- Sleep: Women averaged 7.24 hours per night; Men averaged 6.8 hours.
- Daily Stress: Women averaged 129 minutes; Men averaged 97 minutes.
Weekly Rhythms and U.S. State-Level Variations
The data also captures the rhythm of the weekly cycle. Across the Oura community, Fridays emerged as the most stressful day of the week. Saturdays, meanwhile, were the most active but also the day when sleep quality was at its worst, suggesting a potential trade-off between social activity and rest. Within the United States, state-level analysis showed further variation. Wyoming boasted the highest sleep scores in the nation, while the District of Columbia had the lowest. DC redeemed itself somewhat by achieving the highest activity scores, whereas West Virginia recorded the lowest activity levels.
U.S. State Extremes (2025):
- Highest Sleep Score: Wyoming
- Lowest Sleep Score: District of Columbia
- Highest Activity Score: District of Columbia
- Lowest Activity Score: West Virginia
Understanding Oura's Metrics and the Value of Longitudinal Data
It is crucial to understand what Oura's metrics represent. The company emphasizes that its stress measurement is based on physiological signals like heart rate variability and nighttime body temperature, which indicate physical strain. This strain can be influenced by psychological stress but also by factors like intense exercise, illness, or caffeine intake—it is not a direct measure of emotional state. The power of the Year in Review lies in its longitudinal perspective. By tracking these biometrics over an entire year, users can move beyond daily scores to identify long-term patterns, empowering them to make more informed decisions about their health and lifestyle as they head into the new year.