Measuring Individual Happiness in Relation to Gross National Happiness in Bhutan: Some Preliminary Results from Survey Data

In: Proceedings of the First International Conference on Operationalization of Gross National Happiness. Thimphu, Centre for Bhutan Studies 2004, pp. 375-389 . ISBN 99936-14-22-X

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Abstract

This paper attempts to measure individual happiness and relate it to the GNH parameters. The most common GNH parameters have been converted into micro-working variables using the scaling technique. Data on such variables are collected using a field survey of 612 individuals, from both urban and rural areas, and we used econometric technique to establish the interconnection. The study concludes that while education has strong influence on the happiness of people in urban areas, it has an extremely low impact in rural areas. Enhancement in health would make people happy, more so in urban areas. Income has emerged as a weak variable influencing happiness both in rural and urban areas. Good governance, specifically the decentralisation of the government seems to be working well and has significantly added to people's happiness. Cultural participation and cultural identity have emerged as the strongest of all variables influencing individual happiness. The relationship turns out to be stronger in rural areas in comparison to urban areas. Deeply religious people seem to be happier. Religiosity does not bring as much happiness in urban areas as it does in rural areas. Thus, the stated parameters of GNH have a linkage with individual happiness, suggesting that a better performance in GNH parameters would, in all probability, lead to an enhancement in individual happiness.