Bhutan 2010 gnh_index_1

The 2010 Gross National
Happiness Index : Part I

The Centre for Bhutan Studies
2011
.

Part I:
1. GNH concept
2. GNH domains
3. GNH survey
4. 33 indicators
5. Weighting
6. GNH thresholds-sufficiency &
happiness
7. GNH Index methodology
.

Background:

Legal code of 1629 “if the government
cannot create happiness for its
people, then there is no purpose for
government to exist.”
.

4th King of Bhutan, 1972
“Gross National Happiness is more
important than Gross National Product.”
.

Constitution of Bhutan 2008 Article 9:
“The State shall strive to promote those
conditions that will enable the pursuit of
Gross National Happiness.”

.

Gross National
Happiness (GNH)
measures the quality of
a country in more
holistic way and
believes that the
beneficial development
of human society takes
place when material
and spiritual
development occurs
side by side to
HM Jigme Khesar Namgyel
complement and
Wangchuck, the 5th King of
Bhutan, is committed to GNH. reinforce each other.

.

GNH in Bhutan:
profound & rooted

“We have now clearly
distinguished the
„happiness‟ … in GNH
from the fleeting, pleasurable „feel good‟ moods so often
associated with that term. We know that true abiding
happiness cannot exist while others suffer, and comes
only from serving others, living in harmony with
nature, and realizing our innate wisdom and the true
and brilliant nature of our own minds.”

Prime Minister of Bhutan, 2009
.

GNH has
Nine
Domains:

These
appear in
the 10th
plan
and are
Measured
in the
GNH
Index.
.

Nine Domains of GNH

1. Living Standard
2. Health
3. Education
4. Time Use
5. Good Governance
6. Ecological Diversity &
Resilience
7. Psychological Well-being
8. Community Vitality
9. Culture Diversity & Resilience
.

Domains of GNH
Standard Domains
• Living Standard
• Health
• Education
• Time Use
• Good Governance
• Ecological Diversity &
Resilience
• Psychological Well-being
• Community Vitality
• Culture Diversity & Resilience
.

Domains of GNH
• Living Standard
• Health
• Education
Newer Domains
• Time Use
• Good Governance
• Ecological Diversity &
Resilience
• Culture Diversity & Resilience
.

Domains of GNH
• Living Standard
• Health
• Education
• Time Use
• Good Governance
• Ecological Diversity & Resilience
Innovative Domains
• Culture Diversity &
Resilience
.

Part I:
1. GNH concept
2. GNH domains
3. GNH survey
4. 33 indicators
5. GNH thresholds-sufficiency &
happiness
6. Weighting
7. GNH Index methodology
.

GNH Index Survey, 2010
CBS
Completed Interviews = 7142
Retained Sample size = 6476
Sample representative of 20 districts,
and by rural and urban areas

758 variables, covering all 9 domains of GNH
Unusual depth and quality of data

Draws on 2006 Pre-Pilot
and the 2008 Pilot GNH Survey
.

33 GNH Indicators were
selected for the GNH Index
according to:
1) Normative values, official documents
2) Statistical properties
3) Accuracy across time
4) Policy relevance
5) Clarity of interpretation
The 33 indicators draw on over 120
questions from the survey.
.

Domain Indicators
1 Psychological wellbeing 4
2 Health 4
3 Time use 2
4 Education 4
Cultural diversity and
5
resilience
4
6 Good Governance 4
7 Community vitality 4
Ecological diversity and
8
resilience
4
9 Living standards 3
Total 33
.

Life satisfaction
• Health
• Living standard
• Occupation
• Relationships
• Work-life balance

Spirituality Positive
• Spirituality emotions
level • Calmness
• Prayer
Psychological • Empathy/
recitation Wellbeing compassion
• Meditation • Forgiveness
• Considerati • Contentment
on of Karma • Generosity

Negative emotions
• Anger
• Fear
• Worry
• Selfishness
• Jealousy .

Number of Mental health:
Healthy days • Able to concentrate
• Lost sleep over worry
• Playing useful part
• Capable of making
decisions
• Constantly under
Disability strain
• Difficult to cope with
• Long- difficulties
term • Able to enjoy
disability Health • Able to face problems
• Feeling unhappy and
that depressed
restricts • Losing confidence
• Thinking of self as a
activities worthless person

Self reported health
status – 10% weight

.

WORK Time Use SLEEP

.

Schooling

Value : Little Knowledge
justification for of:
• Killing • Local legends
• Stealing and folk stories
• Lying Education
• Local tshechus
• Creating
disharmony among
and festivals
people • Constitution
• Sexual misconduct • How HIV/AIDS
is transmitted

Literacy

.

Speak native language
Artistic
skills
Cultural
• Weaving, Embroide participation:
ry, Painting, Carpe
ntry, Carving, Scul Cultural • Number of days
pture, Casting, Bla Diversity spent in socio-
cksmithing, Bambo and cultural events
o in a year
works, Gold/silvers Resilience
mith, Masonry,
Leather
works, Paper
making

Driglam Namzha
(code of etiquette
and conduct)
• Importance
• Changes in practice

.

Political
participation
* Voting
* Attending Zomdue at:
Government
performance
• Chiwog level
• Gewog level • Creating jobs
• Thromdue level • Reducing gap
Services between rich
and poor
• Walking time to • Providing
nearest health education
care centre • Improving
• Waste disposal Good health services
• Source of water Governance • Fighting
• Quality of corruption
drinking water • Protecting
• Access to environment
electricity Fundamental rights • Preserving
cultural and
• Freedom of speech & opinion traditions
• To vote
• To join political party
• To form/join tshogpa
• To join public service
• Equal value of work
• Freedom from discrimination
.

Donations (time & money)
• Proportion of household income
donated
• Days of volunteering

Family
• Family care
Safety • Wish you were
Community not part of your
• Having been a
recent victim Vitality family
of crime • Argue too much
• Feel like a
stranger in family
• Family are
understanding
• Family are a real
Community source of comfort
relationship
• Sense of belonging
• Trust neighbours

.

Responsibility
towards
Environment Ecological
Issues
Urbanization • Pollution of
issues rivers and
steams
• Traffic congestion
• Absence/inadequa • Air pollution
te green spaces Ecological • Absence of waste
disposal sites
• Lack of pedestrian
friendly streets Diversity and • Landslides
• Urban sprawl Resilience • Soil erosion
• Floods
• Littering
• Noise pollution

Wildlife Damage (Rural)
• Wild animals are a constraint to crops.
• Crops have been damaged by wild
animals
.

Household income
per capita

Living
Standard Assets
• Mobile phone
• Fixed phone
• Personal computer
• Refrigerator
Housing • Washing machine
• Toilet • Television
• Electricity • Livestock
• Quality of roof • Land size (5 acres
• Persons per room threshold)

.

Psychological
Wellbeing
• Life satisfaction
• Positive emotions
Living Standards • Negative emotions Health
• Spirituality • Mental health
• Assets
• Self reported health
• Housing status
• Household per capita • Healthy days
income
• Disability

Ecological
Diversity and
Resilience
Time Use

GNH
• Ecological Issues
• Responsibility • Work
towards environment • Sleep
• Wildlife damage
(Rural)
• Urbanization issues

Community
Vitality Education
• Donations (time & • Literacy
money)
• Schooling
• Community
relationship • Knowledge
• Family • Value
• Safety
Cultural
Good Governance Diversity and
Resilience
• Gov‟t performance
• Fundamental rights • Speak native
Language
• Services
• Cultural Participation
• Political Participation
• Artistic Skills
• Driglam Namzha

.

Weighting:
 9 domains are equally weighted
 33 indicators, 2-4 per domain
 Relatively equal weights among 33
 Most reliable have larger weights

.

Weights on the 33 Indicators
Domain Indicators Weight Domain Indicators Weight
Psychological wellbeing Life satisfaction 33% Good Governance Political participation 40%
Positive emotions 17% Services 40%
Negative emotions 17% Governance performance 10%
Spirituality 33% Fundamental rights 10%
Health Self reported health status
10% Community vitality Donation (time & money) 30%
Healthy days 30% Safety 30%
Disability 30% Community relationship 20%
Mental health 30% Family 20%
Time use Work 50% Ecological diversity Wildlife damage 40%
Sleep 50% & resilience Urban issues 40%
Education Literacy 30% Responsibility towards environment
10%
Schooling 30% Ecological issues 10%
Knowledge 20% Living Standard Per capita income 33%
Value 20% Assets 33%
Cultural diversity Zorig chusum skills (Artisan)
30% Housing 33%
& resilience Cultural participation 30%
Speak native language 20%
Driglam Namzha (Etiquette
20%
.

Equal Weights within the indicators
in 3 domains
10%
30% Housing 33%
20%
.

5 subjective indicators receive10%
weights only (dark blue); others equal.
10%
30% Housing 33%
20%
.

In 3 domains, subjective indicators are
weighted 20%; objective at 30%.
Education Literacy 30% Responsibility towards environmen
10%
30% Housing 33%
20%
.

How much is enough?
The GNH Index uses two kinds of thresholds:
1. Sufficiency thresholds
2. Happiness threshold

Sufficiency thresholds:
Shows how much a person needs in order
to enjoy „sufficiency‟ – how much is
enough, normally, to create a happiness
condition. Each of the 33 GNH indicators
has a sufficiency threshold.
.

Sufficiency thresholds were set by:
 International standards: Eg. MDGs, ILO, Habitat
 National standards: Eg.1.5 x income poverty line
 Normative judgments: Eg. Positive emotions
 Participatory meetings: Local advisors gave input -
e.g. the threshold for
land depends upon
its quality. Here in
Wangdiphodrang
5 acres is enough.

.

Psychological wellbeing
Indicator Sub-indicator Question Response range Sufficiency
Life Health How satisfied are you with your health?
5 (Low-worst)
20-25
Standard of living …with your standard of living?
satisfaction To
Occupation …with your major occupation?
25 (High
Family relationship …with your family relationship? satisfaction)
Work life balance …with your work life balance?
Spirituality 1 (Not at all)- 4 4 (Very
Spirituality How spiritual do you consider yourself? (Very spiritual) spiritual)
Do you consider Karma in the course of 1 (Not at all)-4 4 (Always)
Karma your daily life? (Always)
1 (Not at all)- 4 4 (Regularly)
Prayer recitation How often do you recite prayers? (Regularly)
1 (Not at all)- 4 3 (Occasionally)
(Regularly) or 4 (Regularly)
Meditation How often do you meditate?
Positive Calmness During the past few 5 (Low )-20 15-20
emotions Compassion weeks, how often do you (High positive (Positive
Forgiveness experience __(Emotion)_? emotion score) emotion
Contentment score)
Generosity
Negative Selfishness During the past few 5 (Low)-20 15-20
emotions Jealousy weeks, how often do you (High negative (Negative
Fear experience __(Emotion)_? emotion score) emotion
Worry score)
Anger .

Health
Response range Sufficiency
Indicator Sub-indicator Question (worst-best) threshold
Self Self reported health In general, would 1 (Very poor)- 4 (Good) or 5
reported status you say your health 5 (Excellent) (Excellent)
health is…
status
Healthy Healthy days Number of healthy 0 (Worst)-30(Best) Above 26
days days in the past 30 days
days
Disability Long term disability Do you have any 1 (Yes)-2 (No) 2 (No)
long term disabilities,
health/mental
problems?
Activity limitations Does the long-term 1 (All the time)- 3 (Rarely) or
disability restrict 5 (Never) 4 (Never)
your activities?
Mental 12 item General 12 item General 0-15 (Severe 21-36
health health questionnaire health questionnaire distress)-21-36 (Normal
(Normal mental mental
wellbeing) wellbeing)

.

Education

Literacy Literacy level Can you read and write in any of the 1 (No)-2 (Yes) 2 (Yes)
languages?
Schooling Schooling What is your highest level of education? 1 (No formal 2 (Class VI)
education)-8
(Postgraduate/PHD)
Know- Local legend and How would you rate your knowledge 5 (Low knowledge 19-25
and understanding on local legend and score)-25 (High (Knowledge
ledge folk stories folk stories? knowledge score) score)
Local tshechus How would you rate your knowledge
and understanding on local tshechus?

Traditional songs How would you rate your knowledge
and understanding on traditional
songs?
The Constitution How would you rate your knowledge
and understanding on constitution?

HIV/AIDS How would you rate your knowledge
on how HIV/AIDS is transmitted?
transmission
Killing Is killing justifiable? 5 (Low value score)- 14-15 (Value
15 (High value score)
Stealing Is stealing justifiable?
score)
Lying Is lying justifiable?

Disharmony Is creating harmony in human relations
justifiable?
Value Sexual misconduct Is sexual misconduct justifiable?
.

Cultural diversity and resilience

Language Ability to How well can you speak 1 (Not at all)-4 (Very 4 (Quite well) or
speak mother your mother tongue well) 5 (Very well)
tongue now?
Cultural Number of How many days do you 1 (None)-5 (More than 20 3 (6-12 days) or
participation days spend in a year days) 4 (13-20 days) or
participated in attending social and 5 (More than 20
cultural acitivities days)
socio-cultural
(community festivals or
activities choku of neighbours)?
Artisan skills Artisan skills Do you have any of the 0 skill (Worst)-13 skills One skill or
zorig chusum skills? (Best) more

Driglam Attitude Is Driglam Namzha 1 (Not Important)-3(Very 3 (Very
Namzha important? Important) Important-2
(code of (Important)
etiquette and
conduct) Change over How do you percieve 1 (Getting weaker)-3 3 (Getting
time the change in practice (Getting stronger) stronger)
and observance of
Driglam Namzha during
the last few years?
.

Good Governance
Indicator Sub-indicator Question Range Sufficiency
Government Creating jobs Rate the performance of government in 7 (Low 28-25 (Institutional
performance creating jobs? institutional performance score
Reducing gap between rich in reducing gap between rich and poor? performance
and poor score)
Fighting corruption -
in fighting corruption? 35 (High
Preserving culture and in preserving culture and traditions? institutional
traditions performance )
Protecting environment in protecting environment? -
Providing educational in providing educational needs?
needs
Improving health services n improving health services?
Fundamental Freedom of speech Do you feel that you have right to the freedom of 1 (No)-2 (Yes) 2 (Yes)
Rights speech and opinion?
Vote have right to vote? 1 (No)-2 (Yes) 2 (Yes)
Join political party have right to join political party of your choice? 1 (No)-2 (Yes) 2 (Yes)
Form tshogpa have right to form tshogpa? 1 (No)-2 (Yes) 2 (Yes)
Equal access to join public have right to equal access and opportunity to join 1 (No)-2 (Yes) 2 (Yes)
service public service?
To equal pay for equal have right to equal pay for work of equal value? 1 (No)-2 (Yes) 2 (Yes)
work
Free from discrimination have right to the freedom from discrimination? 1 (No)-2 (Yes) 2 (Yes)
Services Access to health care How long does it usually take you to walk to <60 minutes
the nearest health care centre?
Electricity Do you have electricity? 1 (No)-2 (Yes) 2 (Yes)
Waste disposal How do you dispose your household waste? 1 (Dump on 5 (Municipal garbage
open land)- 7 pick up) or 6 (Burning) or
(Compost) 7 (Compositing)
Access to water What is the main source of water for your 1 (River, pond 5 (Protected well) or 6
etc.)-8 (Piped in (Public outdoor tap) or 7
household? dwelling) (Piped water outside house)
or 8 (Piped in dwelling)
.

Good Governance (cont’d)

Indicator Sub-indicator Question Range Sufficiency
Services Access to health care How long does it usually take you to walk to <60 minutes
the nearest health care centre?
Electricity Do you have electricity? 1 (No)-2 (Yes) 2 (Yes)

Waste disposal How do you dispose your household waste? 1 (Dump on 5 (Municipal
open land)- garbage pick up) or
7 (Compost) 6 (Burning) or 7
(Compositing)
Access to water What is the main source of water for your 1 (River, 5 (Protected well)
household? pond etc.)-8 or 6 (Public outdoor
(Piped in tap) or 7 (Piped
dwelling) water outside
house) or 8 (Piped
in dwelling)
Quality of water How would you rate the quality of your 1 (Very 5 (Very Good) or 4
drinking water Poor)-5 (Good)
(Very
Good)
Political Election Will you vote in the next elections? 1 (No)-2 1 (No)
(Yes)
participa- The frequency of zomdue attendance in the past 12 At least once
Zomdue
tion participation months

.

Community vitality

Indicator Sub-indicator Question Response range Sufficiency threshold
Donation Donations In the past 12 months, did you donate Amount of More than 10% of
(time & money? donation made in a annual household
money) year income
Days volunteer During the past 12 months, how many Number of days National average-
days did you volunteer? volunteered More than 17 days
Community Sense of belonging How would you describe your sense of 1 (Weak)-3 (Very 3 (Very strong)
relationship belonging to your local community? strong)
Trust in neighbours How much do you trust your 1 (Trust none of 4 (Trust most of
neighbours? them)-4 (Trust them)
most of them)
Family members care Do the members of your family care 18 (High family
Family about each other about each other? index score)-6(Low
Wish you were not Do you wish you were not part of your family Index Score)
part of your family family?
Feel like a stranger in Do you feel like a stranger in your
your family family?
Enough time to spend Do you get enough time to spend with
with your family your family?
Lot of understanding Is there a lot of understanding in your
in your family family?
Family is a real Do you think family is a real source of 15-18 (Family
source of comfort to comfort to you? index score)
you
Victim of crime Have you been a victim of crime in the 1 (Yes)-2 (No) 2 (No)
Safety last 12 months?
.

Ecological diversity and resilience
Indicator Sub-indicator Question Response range (worst-best) Sufficiency threshold
Ecological Pollution of rivers and Is ___ISSUE________ 1 (Major concern)-4 4 (Not a concern)
issues streams an environmental issue (Not a concern) or 3 (Minor
Air pollution of concern in your concern) or 2
Noise pollution community? (Some concern)
Absence of waste disposal in at least 6
sites ecological issues
Littering
Landslides
Soil erosion
Floods
Responsibility Do you feel responsible 1 (Not at all 4 (Highly
towards for conserving the natural responsible)-4 (Highly responsible)
Feelings of responsibility
environment towards environment environment? responsible)
Wildlife Was wildlife a constraint 1 (Major constraint)-4 1 (Major constraint)
damage (Rural) to your crops during the (Not a constraint) & 1 (A lot) or 2
Wildlife problems last year? (Some)
In the past one year, has 1 (A lot)-4 (Not at all)
your crops been damaged
Crop loss by wild animals?
Urbanization Is ___ISSUE________ an 1 (Major concern)-4 4 (Not a concern) or
issues Traffic congestion environmental issue of (Not a concern) 3 (Minor concern)
Absence/inadequate concern in your or 2 (Some concern)
green spaces community? in at least 3
Lack of pedestrian urbanization issues
friendly streets
Urban sprawl .

Living standards
Indicator Sub-indicator Question Response range (worst-best) Sufficiency threshold
Assets Mobile telephone Do you own a 1 (No)-2 (Yes) 3 electrical
Fixed line _______Equipment____
equipment
telephone
Personal computer or
Refrigerator 5 livestock
Colour Television or
Washing machine 5 acres of land
Land How many acres of Number of acres
land does your
household own?
Livestock How many livestock Number of livestock
does your household
own?
Housing Type of toilet used What kind of toilet 1 (No toilet facility, 5 (Flush toilets) or 4
facility does your open spaces)-5 (Flush (Pit latrine with septic
household use? toilet) tank)
Roof material What type of roof 1 (Slate/Bamboo/ 2
material is mainly used Straw/Wood/Mud)- 2 (Concrete/Brick/Ston
for your dwelling? (Concrete/Brick/Stone e or CGI/ Metal)
/CGI/Metal)
Room ratio How many rooms are Number of persons per 2 persons per room or
there in the dwelling room less
(exclude bath/toilet)?
Household per Household income What was the total cash Household income in 1.5* poverty line
income for your Ngultrums
capita income household during the
past 12 months? .

Time Use

Response range Sufficiency
Indicator Sub-indicator Question (worst-best) threshold

Work Hours of work 480 mins

Sleep Hours of sleep 480 mins

.

0%
100%
120%

20%
40%
60%
80%
Value
Safety
Family
Disability
Mental health
Urbanization issues
Responsibility towards…
Life satisfaction
Government performance
Healthy days
Assets
Self reported health status
Ecological issues
Percentage of people enjoying sufficiency

Sleep
Negative emotions
towards

Community relationship
and assets

Fundamental rights
sufficiency in

Artisan skills
life, government

Driglam Namzha
value, safety, native

Positive emotions
health, urbanization
issues, responsibility
Most Bhutanese enjoy

Wildlife damage (Rural)
language, family, mental

Political participation
performance, healthy days

Household per capita income
environment, satisfaction in

Spirituality
.

Literacy

0%
100%
120%

40%
60%
80%

20%
Value
Safety
Family
Disability

issues, negative
Mental health
Urbanization issues

relationship, Artisan

emotions, community
Life satisfaction
sufficiency in ecological
50-60% of Bhutanese enjoy

skills, Driglam Namzha etc.
Healthy days
Assets
Ecological issues
Sleep

Negative emotions
Fundamental rights
Artisan skills
Driglam Namzha
Positive emotions
Spirituality
.

Literacy

Mental health
Urbanization issues
Life satisfaction
Healthy days
Assets
Ecological issues
Sleep
Negative emotions
Fundamental rights
Artisan skills
Driglam Namzha
Positive emotions

oling, cultural participation and knowledge

Less than 50% of Bhutanese enjoy sufficiency in

Spirituality
literacy, housing, donations, work, services, scho

Literacy
Housing
Donations (time & money)
Work
Services
Schooling
Cultural participation
Knowledge
.

Who is considered Happy?
The GNH Index uses two kinds of thresholds:
1. Sufficiency thresholds
2. Happiness threshold

Happiness Threshold= 66% of domains
A person who enjoys sufficiency in more
than six or more of the 9 domains is
considered happy.

.

Happiness threshold of 6 or more (66%) of
the 9 domains were set based on:
 Diversity: Some indicators do not have universal
application. Eg. Political participation under Good
Governance is not relevant to monks and nuns.
 Measurement error: some responses might not be fully
accurate, whether it be about household income or about
their values
 Freedom of choice: Many people seem fully happy
without sufficiency in all indicators. They might not value
other indicators. Their happiness might not be increased
by requiring sufficiency in all. They have enough.
.

0%
5%
10%
15%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%

20%
Value
Safety
Family
Disability
Mental health
Life satisfaction
Applying Both Thresholds

Healthy days
Urbanization issues
Assets
the 9 domains

Negative emotions
Sleep
Household per capita…
Positive emotions
Ecological issues
Artisan skills
Literacy
Fundamental rights
Spirituality
Housing
.
the conditions of both thresholds ; 1) sufficiency threshold of

Work
value indicator and 2) the overall happiness threshold of 6 of
39% of Bhutanese are happy in this indicator means 39% fulfi

A person is ‘happy’ if he/she achieves
sufficiency in 6 or more of the 9 domains
Dorji
Sufficiency in 7 Tashi
domains, so he is Sufficiency in 4 domains so
considered happy she is considered unhappy

.

A person is ‘happy’ if he/she achieves
sufficiency in 6 or more of the 9 domains

How many hit the target?
.

How can another know?
Happiness is deeply personal.
Any measure is imperfect.
It can only suggest.
Yet…

.

40.8% of Bhutanese
enjoy sufficiency in
six or more domains
at the same time.

According to the GNH
Index, they are ‘happy’.
.

GNH Index Methodology
The GNH Index is related to:

1. Headcount ratio:
Percent of people who are happy

2. Breadth:
The percentage of domains in which
people who are not-yet-happy enjoy
sufficiency
.

The 2010 GNH Index, like the 2008 Index, is
based on the Alkire & Foster (2007, 2011)
methodology. In this methodology we:
1. Choose indicators
2. Apply sufficiency thresholds (who has enough)?
3. Apply weights for each indicator
4. Apply the happiness threshold
5. Identify two groups:
1. Happy people
2. Not-yet happy people (policy priority)

.

• The first thing we do is apply sufficiency thresholds to each
of the 33 indicators.
• For simplicity, here we present as if we had nine
indicators, one per domain, equally weighted.
• We start with each person, one by one, and create their
GNH profile.
• The tall coloured bar indicates that a person has achieved
sufficiency in that domain
• The flat dark bar means that they lack sufficiency.
.

Sample GNH profiles

.

Next: Count domains (%)

Jampel has
sufficiency in 3 of 9
domains (orange).
That is, 33%.

.

Next: who is happy?

A person
who has 6 or
more
domains is
happy

.

What % of people are happy
And what % are not-yet-happy?
Here 5 out
of 7 people
are not yet
happy –
5/7 = 71%. Happy people

2 out of 7
people are
happy –
2/7 = 29%

.

GNH Index Methodology
Almost there.
Now, to compute the GNH Index, we only need
to know one more thing:

6. Among the Not-yet-Happy people, what
percentage of domains do they lack sufficiency?

.

Last step: among
the not yet
happy…
In what percent
of dimensions do
they lack
sufficiency?

.

Last step: among
the not yet
happy…
In what percent
of dimensions do
they lack
sufficiency?

Have sufficiency in 46% Lack sufficiency in 54%

.

The percentage of Happy people we call Hh
This is 29% in the example

The percentage of not-yet-happy people Hn

The percentage of domains in which not-yet-
happy people lack sufficiency we call An

.

Why does the GNH Index use
shortfalls?

So the GNH Index changes when the
percent of happy people increases
or when not-yet-happy people have
sufficiency in more domains.

(This makes it useful for policy)
.

Now that we‟ve computed it, the GNH can be unpacked in
different ways, to tell different stories.

The GNH Index can be decomposed by subgroups like
Dzonkhags, age groups, gender, or some occupations.

It can also be analysed by each dimension & indicator.
.

Hence, GNH Index is used:

To Understand Happiness:
How many people are happy?
How are they happy?

To Increase Happiness
Who is not yet happy?
What do they lack?
.

How do we increase GNH?
1) Increase the % of happy people
(Reduce the % of unhappy)

OR
2) Increase the % of domains in
which not-yet-happy people enjoy
sufficiency. (Reduce the
insufficiencies of the unhappy).

.

GNH Index: Incentives
The 2010 GNH Index, like the 2008 Index, is
based on the Alkire & Foster methodology.

It provides an incentive
~to sustain GNH among the happy and
~to care for those who are not-yet-happy
… so they enjoy sufficiency in more
domains
… and so they become happy.

.

Bhutan 2010 gnh_index_1

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (20)

Similar to Bhutan 2010 gnh_index_1

Similar to Bhutan 2010 gnh_index_1 (20)

More from Centre for Bhutan Studies

More from Centre for Bhutan Studies (8)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Bhutan 2010 gnh_index_1

Editor's Notes