World Happiness Report - Bhutan: Gross national happiness and the GNH index.

From:
Department for International Development
Published
1 January 2012
Country:
Bhutan
Document Type:
Book Chapter
Theme:
Social Change
Authors:
Alkire, S., Ura, K. and Zangmo, T.

Abstract

Bhutan’s GNH Index is a multidimensional measure, and is linked with a set of policy and program screening tools so that it has practical applications. The GNH Index is built from data drawn from periodic surveys that are representative by district, gender, age, rural-urban residence, income, etc. Representative sampling allows its results to be decomposed at various sub-national levels, and such disaggregated information can be examined and understood more by organizations and citizens for their uses. In the GNH Index, unlike certain concepts of happiness in current western literature, happiness is itself multidimensional – not measured only by subjective well-being, and not focused narrowly on happiness that begins and ends with oneself and is concerned for and with oneself. The pursuit of happiness is collective, though it can be experienced deeply personally. Different people can be happy in spite of their disparate circumstances but the options for trade off must be wide.

Citation

Ura, K.; Alkire, S.; Zangmo, T. World Happiness Report - Bhutan: Gross national happiness and the GNH index. (2012) 147 pp.

World Happiness Report - Bhutan: Gross national happiness and the GNH index.

Updates to this page

Published 1 January 2012
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