WHO-5 scoring: what your well-being score means
CareOps editorial team · · 4 min read
Mental wellness information and service guidance published by CareOps.
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The CareOps editorial team publishes these guides. Sources are linked at the end of each article; examples are illustrative, not customer stories. Product descriptions refer to CareOps Maeumi. Publication and revision dates appear above.
Read our full editorial standards →Most mental health questionnaires count problems. The WHO-5 does the opposite: its five questions ask how often you have felt good over the past two weeks. That makes the number easy to misread, because here a higher score is the better one. This guide explains how the WHO-5 is scored and how to read the result.
At a glance
- The WHO-5 has five statements, each scored 0 to 5, so the raw total runs from 0 to 25. Higher means better well-being.
- Multiply the raw score by 4 for a 0–100 percentage. Below 50 (raw below 13) is the cut-off the WHO document mentions for further assessment.
- It is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. A low score is a reason to look closer, not a label.
What is the WHO-5?
The World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5) is a five-question measure of how you have been feeling over the past two weeks. It was first published in 1998 and, according to a 2015 systematic review, has been translated into more than 30 languages and used in research around the world.
All five statements are positive. They ask how often you have felt cheerful, calm, active, rested when you woke up, and interested in your daily life. That review of 213 studies concluded the WHO-5 is a valid measure of well-being and a sensitive and specific screening tool for depression.
How is the WHO-5 scored?
Each statement has six answers about how much of the time it applied to you, and each answer has a point value:
- At no time scores 0.
- Some of the time scores 1.
- Less than half the time scores 2.
- More than half the time scores 3.
- Most of the time scores 4.
- All of the time scores 5.
- Add the five answers together. The total is your raw WHO-5 score, from 0 to 25.
Raw score vs percentage score
The WHO's scoring instructions also describe a percentage score: multiply the raw score by 4 to get a number from 0 to 100. A raw 12 becomes 48%, a raw 20 becomes 80%. Both describe the same answers, so if you see a WHO-5 result elsewhere as a percentage, this is how to compare it. Our check shows the raw total out of 25.
WHO-5 score interpretation
| Raw score (percentage) | What it suggests | A reasonable next step |
|---|---|---|
| 0–13 (0–52%) | Lower well-being | Look more closely at mood, for example with a depression screener, and consider talking it over |
| 14–25 (56–100%) | Higher well-being | Notice what is helping; retake in a few weeks to see how things change |
The WHO document says a percentage score below 50, or a raw score below 13, has been suggested as a cut-off for poor mental well-being and as a sign that further assessment for a condition such as depression is worthwhile. Our check draws its line one point higher, so a raw 13 is also shown as lower well-being.
Because the WHO-5 asks about good feelings rather than symptoms, a low score does not tell you what is wrong. It may reflect low mood, but also exhaustion, poor sleep, or a stressful stretch. It is a starting point for a closer look.
Take the WHO-5 now
You can take the WHO-5 here for free, without signing up. Your score appears right away, along with what the range means.
Try a self-assessment without signing inWell-being (WHO-5)Recent energy and well-being. Answer the app’s questionnaire and see your result right away.Start the check →What to do with a low score
Look at which statements scored lowest. Waking up unrested points somewhere different from losing interest in things you used to enjoy. If the low score sits alongside persistent sadness or emptiness, a symptom-based check such as the PHQ-4 or the K10 gives a fuller picture. If stress seems to be the main driver, the Perceived Stress Scale is a useful companion.
CareOps Maeumi is an AI counseling app that starts with short self-checks like this one and remembers earlier sessions, so each conversation builds on the last. You can talk by voice or text. Sign-up and initial self-checks are free; check your account’s session offer and pricing before payment. You can use it alongside care from a licensed professional.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you score the WHO-5?
- Each of the five statements is scored from 0 (at no time) to 5 (all of the time). Add them together for a raw score from 0 to 25. Higher scores mean better well-being.
- How do you convert a WHO-5 score to a percentage?
- Multiply the raw score by 4. That gives a percentage from 0 to 100, where 0 is the worst and 100 the best possible well-being.
- What is a low WHO-5 score?
- The WHO document mentions a percentage below 50 (a raw score below 13) as a suggested cut-off for poor well-being and a reason for further assessment. Our check shows raw scores of 13 or below as lower well-being.
- Is the WHO-5 a depression test?
- Not exactly. It measures well-being, not symptoms, but research has found it works well as a screening tool for depression. A low score suggests taking a closer look; it is not a diagnosis.
Sources
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