From Bhutan’s early emphasis on Gross National Happiness to Finland’s continued reign as the world’s happiest nation, the evidence is clear: Sustainable development must prioritise human relationships and emotional well-being as much as economic growth
This year’s World Happiness Report (WHR), published by the Well-being Research Centre, Oxford, in partnership with Gallup and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, focused on the importance of ‘caring and sharing’ and underlined that ‘happiness isn’t just about wealth or economic growth, but, rooted in trust, kindness, and social connection’. The report highlighted that for stronger communities and economies, the world ‘must invest in human relationships’.
As the world deliberated on a holistic approach to development, in the 70s, Bhutan proposed the term ‘gross national happiness (GNH)’, taking into account people’s happiness alongside economic growth.
In 2006, Gallup organised global research to gauge the ‘quality of people's lives, their emotional state, attitudes, behaviours, and other aspects of behavioural economics’, on a three-year average of life experiences on a 0–10 Cantril Self-Anchoring Striving Scale or the Cantril Ladder.
About 3.4 per cent of people assessed their lives as a 10 — the best possible life and only 1.6 per cent considered their lives a zero — the worst possible life. In 2021, the number of people living their best lives more than doubled (to 7.4 per cent), while the number of people living their worst lives more than quadrupled (to 7.6 per cent).
The 20 per cent of those who rated their lives as the best had an average life rating of 8.9, and the 20 per cent of those who rated their lives as the worst had an average life rating of 1.2 and the gap in the life ratings was 7.7 points, the highest in the history of Gallup's global tracking — indicating a rise in unhappiness.
The 20 per cent of those reporting a great life had experienced work satisfaction, good physical health, little financial stress, had loved ones to turn to for help, and lived in great communities.
In 2022, Gallup’s book Blind Spot, based on about five million surveys in 170 countries, showed a rise in the Negative Experience Index by 10 points since 2007 and concluded that social well-being inequality has affected average life evaluations more than income inequality.
In the new millennium — as emerging technologies seriously affect people’s thinking, lifestyle, socialising and work culture — evidence from 113 countries and territories (2000–2019) revealed that loneliness has turned into a widespread problem. In 2023, an analytical study by Gallup and Meta in more than 140 countries, titled ‘The Global State of Social Connections,’ disclosed that ‘almost 1 in 4 people feel lonely across the world’.
The highest rates of loneliness were found among the young adult population, with almost 27 per cent of them feeling ‘fairly lonely or very lonely’. While loneliness affects both men and women equally, at around 24 per cent, in more than 79 countries, there were higher rates of self-reported loneliness among women.
A study conducted in 2021 in 37 countries found that ‘school loneliness among adolescents had globally increased significantly between 2012 and 2018, particularly among girls’.
Globally, social isolation and loneliness are increasingly recognised as a priority public health concern across all age groups (WHO). Researchers studying the link between loneliness and health find that both objective solitude, like living alone and subjective loneliness like frequent self-reported feelings of loneliness are correlated with higher morbidity and higher mortality. Several studies also consistently demonstrate a strong correlation between social connections and various positive outcomes — such as improved mental and physical health, increased life expectancy, and greater life satisfaction.
The feeling of being connected to others helps combat loneliness, reduces stress and anxiety, and fosters a sense of belonging — all of which contribute to a happier and more fulfilling life, researchers maintained. In India, health experts warned about the emerging ‘dementia epidemic’ and other mental health disorders.
India, which traditionally has a strong social support system, however, a study (LASI 2017–18) divulged that 20.5 per cent of adults (45 years and above) experienced moderate loneliness, while 13.3 per cent reported severe loneliness. A 2013 study attributed various socio-economic factors like high poverty rate, unplanned urbanisation, rapid industrialisation, and breakdown of traditional family structures, etc, as the contributing factors. Investments in social connection are critical to creating productive, resilient, and stable economies (WHO).
Happiness researchers established that ‘happy people are, indeed, productive people, and that the brains of happy individuals function optimally with enhanced cognitive abilities — which translate directly into higher productivity levels’, and that workers, when happy, are 13 per cent more productive (Oxford University's Saïd Business School). While ‘societies with high social capital outperform those with low social capital in terms of subjective well-being (SWB) and economic development’ (Sachs, 2015).
Though there is some evidence that income and growth improve happiness over time (Sachs et al., 2012), there is also evidence that elements of happiness can improve economic growth. It is the anti-stress lifestyle of the Finns that led to a culture of innovation (Emma Seppälä, Yale University) and the importance of work — life balance, which made the Finns happy and productive (Johanna Jäkälä, Finland Promotion Services).
No wonder Finland continues to hold the top slot in happiness ranking for the eighth year in a row. Over the years, the findings of the WHRs made the world realise that the feelings of happiness differ across societies for identifiable reasons — while happiness scientists espoused that limiting factors could be addressed through suitable policy interventions.
It is high time that world leaders think beyond GDP, reorient their economic thinking towards sustainability, and ensure good governance through efficient and equitable provision of public goods, social safety nets, community engagement, and social connections for a happier world.
To build a truly prosperous world, nations must look beyond economic metrics and prioritise social well-being. Investing in human connection, mental health, and inclusive communities not only fosters happiness but also drives productivity and resilience.
As global evidence mounts on the impact of loneliness and inequality, it is clear that sustainable progress depends on trust, compassion, and meaningful relationships. A happier world starts with policies that value people — not just profit, and nurture the social fabric that binds us.
(The author, former DG, Doordarshan. Views are personal)
