While mangrove restoration projects have increased in recent years, the extent to which social dimensions, particularly social values, have been considered in on-the-ground projects has yet to be examined. To address this gap, we developed an online survey targeting practitioners from various backgrounds and organizations involved in mangrove restoration projects. 78 cases were included in the analysis. Our sample included practitioners' perspectives from 30 countries from 7 regions around the world. Countries with the most responses included Colombia, Ecuador, Australia, India, and Indonesia. Most respondents (n=72) reported including social values in making decisions related to mangrove restoration. A few cases (n=6) reported that they did not include social values in their projects. Practitioners focused on developing projects aligned with human needs, while mangrove restoration projects considered mainly local communities' values, and preferences of stakeholders external to the project area, such as industries and or lobby groups, were overlooked. We explore the challenges associated with including diverse social values in the mangrove restoration context and provide future directions based on our findings, which can help overcome current barriers limiting the success of mangrove restoration projects worldwide.