The Economics of Happiness, Public Policy, and National Success Indicators

This project aims to extend the economic analysis of welfare or happiness, by making the analysis more relevant for policy formulation and by making happiness measures comparable interpersonally, intertemporally, and interculturally. It will also devise an appropriate national success indicator that will promote a focus on happiness and sustainability at the global level. In view of the relative unimportance of incomes for happiness after a certain low level revealed in recent happiness studies and the importance of environmental protection, the indicator will focus on some improved measures of happiness and some measures of environmental costs.