measures of gross national happiness ruut veenhoven erasmus university rotterdam presentation at...
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Measures ofGROSS NATIONAL HAPPINESS
Ruut VeenhovenErasmus University Rotterdam
Presentation at OECD World Forum on
Statistics, Knowledge and PolicyIstanbul, Turkey June 27-30
Roundtable on Measuring Happiness and Making Policy
Measures of GNH1. The ‘greatest happiness principle’
2. What is ‘happiness’?
3. Can happiness be measured?
4. Measures of happiness in nations• Average Happiness • Happy Life Years• Inequality of Happiness• Inequality Adjusted Happiness• % unhappy
5. Relevance for policy
Greatest Happiness Principle
Greatest happiness principle
Philosophy
• Morally good is what works out wellMorality appears in consequences
• Most moral is what produces ‘greatest happiness for greatest number’
• This philosophy is called ‘utilitarianism’Applied on public choice: ‘rule utilitarianism’
Greatest happiness principle
Variants of rule-utilitarianism
• Focus on average happinessStandard utilitarianism
• Focus on difference in happinessEgalitarian utilitarianism
• Focus on the least happyNegative utilitarianism
What is ‘happiness’?
What is ‘happiness’?
Four qualities of life
external
internal
chances
outcomes
What is ‘happiness’?
Four qualities of life
external
internal
chances
Livability
Life-ability
outcomes
Utility
Satisfaction
What is ‘happiness’?Four kinds of satisfaction
Passing
Enduring
Part
Whole
What is ‘happiness’?Four kinds of satisfaction
Passing
Enduring
Part
Pleasure
Domain
satisfaction
Whole
Top experience
Happiness
(life-satisfaction)
Can happiness be measured?
Measurement of happiness
Example of a survey question
Taking all together, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your life as a whole these days?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Dissatisfied Satisfied
Happiness in Switzerland 2000
DISSATISFIED
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 SATISFIED
HOW SATISFIED ARE YOU WITH YOUR LIFE
0,0%
5,0%
10,0%
15,0%
20,0%
25,0%
30,0%
Pe
rce
nt
COUNTRY/REGION: SWITZERLAND
Happiness in Zimbabwe 2000
DISSATISFIED
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 SATISFIED
HOW SATISFIED ARE YOU WITH YOUR LIFE
0,0%
10,0%
20,0%
30,0%
Perce
nt
COUNTRY/REGION: ZIMBABWE
Measures of happiness in nations
Measures of happiness in nations
• Average Happiness
• Happy Life Years
• Inequality of Happiness
• Inequality Adjusted Happiness
• % Unhappy
Measures of happiness in nations
Link with variants of utilitarianism
Standard utilitarianism• Average Happiness• Happy Life Years
Egalitarian utilitarianism• Inequality of Happiness• Inequality Adjusted Happiness
Negative utilitarianism• % unhappy
Measures of happiness in nations
Average Happiness
Average 0-10 happiness in 2000
• Switzerland 8,1
• USA 7,4
• UK 7,1
• Italy 6,9
• France 6,5
• Japan 6,2
• Russia 4,4
• Zimbabwe 3.3
Average 0-10 happiness in 2000Change since 1973
• Switzerland ? 8,1
• USA + 0,34 7,4
• UK + 0,06 7,1
• Italy + 0,96 6,9
• France + 0,28 6,5
• Japan + 0,00 6,2
• Russia ? 4,4
• Zimbabwe ? 3.3
Measures of happiness in nations
Happy Life Years
Measures of happiness in nations
Happy Life Years
Meaning:How long and happy people live in a country
Computation:Life-expectancy x 0-1 happiness
Example Switzerland:- Life-expectancy = 79 years- Average 0-10 happiness = 8,1- HLY = 79 x 0,81 = 64
Happy Life Years in 2000
• Switzerland 63,9
• USA 57,0
• UK 55,2
• Italy 54,2
• France 51,4
• Japan 50,4
• Russia 29,2
• Zimbabwe 11,5
Happy Life Years in 2000Change since 1973• Switzerland ? 63,9
• USA + 5,2 57,0
• UK + 4,1 55,2
• Italy + 11,5 54,2
• France + 6,0 51,4
• Japan + 4,4 50,4
• Russia ? 29,2
• Zimbabwe ? 11,5
Measures of happiness in nations
Inequality of Happiness
SD 0-10 happiness in 2000
• Switzerland 1,7
• USA 2,1
• UK 2,1
• Italy 2,1
• France 2,2
• Japan 2,1
• Russia 2,6
• Zimbabwe 3.0
SD 0-10 happiness in 2000Change since 1973
• Switzerland ? 1,7
• USA - 0,03 2,1
• UK - 0,16 2,1
• Italy - 0,37 2,1
• France - 0,09 2,2
• Japan + 0,09 2,1
• Russia ? 2,6
• Zimbabwe ? 3.0
Measures of happiness in nations
Inequality Adjusted Happiness
0-100 IAH in nations in 2000
• Switzerland 75
• USA 67
• UK 64
• Italy 62
• France 58
• Japan 55
• Russia 36
• Zimbabwe 23
0-100 IAH in nations in 2000Change since 1973
• Switzerland ? 75
• USA + 5,2 67
• UK + 4,1 64
• Italy + 10,5 62
• France + 6,0 58
• Japan - 4,4 55
• Russia ? 36
• Zimbabwe ? 23
Measures of happiness in nations
% Unhappy
% unhappy in 2000 (below 5 on 1-10)
• Switzerland 4,1
• USA 5,9
• UK 7,9
• Italy 9,6
• France 11,2
• Japan 14,5
• Russia 45,5
• Zimbabwe 56,7
Happiness and kind of society
Societal correlates of happiness in 95 nations
Average happiness
• Economic affluence +.61• Political freedom +.54• Rule of law +.58• State welfare +.22• Income equality +.18• Tolerance +.68
R2 .73
Societal correlates of happiness in 95 nations
Explained variance
• Average happiness 73%
• Happy Life Years 81%
• Inequality of happiness 51%
• Inequality-Adjusted happiness 74%
• % Unhappy 77%
Societal correlates of happiness in 95 nations
Similarity in correlations
• Difference in correlation with income-inequality– No correlation with Average happiness– Some correlation with SD-happiness
• All other correlations similar
Same policies fit all variants of utilitarianism
World Database of Happiness
http://worlddatabaseofhappiness.eur.nl