Gross National Happiness (GNH)

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Gross National Happiness (GNH)

What is Gross National Happiness?

Gross National Happiness (GNH) is a holistic measure of a nation’s progress that prioritizes the well‑being and happiness of citizens over purely economic metrics like GDP. Originating in Bhutan in the 1970s, GNH informs public policy by balancing economic, social, cultural and environmental factors.

Origin and development

  • The idea was popularized when Bhutan’s king declared in 1972 that “gross national happiness is more important than gross national product.”
  • In 1998 the Centre for Bhutan Studies was established to research and operationalize GNH, producing an index and indicators to guide policy.
  • Bhutan’s 2008 constitution requires lawmakers to consider the four pillars of GNH when drafting legislation.
  • Historical note: Bhutanese legal tradition dating to unification (1729) emphasized that government exists to provide happiness to its people.

The four pillars of GNH

GNH rests on four foundational pillars that shape national policy:
– Good governance
– Sustainable development
– Preservation and promotion of culture
– Environmental conservation

The nine domains of GNH

The four pillars are measured across nine domains that capture different aspects of life:
– Psychological well‑being
– Health
– Time use
– Education
– Cultural diversity and resilience
– Good governance
– Community vitality
– Ecological diversity and resilience
– Standard of living

The GNH Index: how it’s measured

  • The GNH Index quantifies national happiness on a scale from 0 to 1 (1 being the highest).
  • It is calculated from 33 weighted indicators covering areas such as emotional well‑being, physical health, relationships, cultural factors and ecological resilience.
  • The 2022 methodology described the index as: proportion of happy people plus the proportion of “not‑yet‑happy” people multiplied by their average sufficiency level.

2022 GNH findings (highlights)

  • National GNH score: 0.781 (on a 0–1 scale).
  • Proportions of the population by happiness category:
  • Deeply happy: 9.5%
  • Extensively happy: 38.6%
  • Narrowly happy: 45.5%
  • Unhappy: 6.4%
  • More of the happy population lived in rural areas than urban areas (about 57% rural vs 43% urban).

GNH vs. the World Happiness Report

  • GNH is a policy tool developed and used by Bhutan to guide national decision‑making.
  • The World Happiness Report is an international ranking and research collaboration (involving organizations such as Gallup and academic partners) that compares subjective well‑being across countries but is not designed as a national policy instrument.

Why GNH matters

GNH reframes development to include psychological, cultural and environmental dimensions alongside material wealth. By embedding these values into constitutional and policy processes, Bhutan aims to pursue balanced, sustainable progress that improves citizens’ quality of life rather than focusing solely on economic growth.

Conclusion

Gross National Happiness offers an alternative framework for measuring national success—one that integrates governance, culture, social bonds and the environment into assessments of prosperity. It illustrates how a country can translate well‑being concepts into measurable indicators and policy priorities.