Bhutan has adopted a development philosophy called Gross National Happiness that values non-economic well-being equally with economic factors. The GNH is measured using a GNH Index that assesses nine domains including sustainable development, environmental conservation, and good governance. While Bhutan's GNH has increased overall in recent years, some groups like women and rural residents reported less growth in happiness, indicating areas for Bhutan's sustainable development goals to target for more equal increases in national well-being.

1. Bhutan’s
Gross National Happiness

2. • Area: 14,824 mi2
• Population: 797,765 (2016)
• GDP: 2.237 Billion (2016)

3. Bhutan Video

4. “Gross National Happiness is more
important than Gross Domestic
Product.”
-His Majesty, the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, Jigme Singye Wangchuck

5. • The retired Fourth King of Bhutan, first coined the phrase
‘Gross National Happiness’ in 1972.
• Until 1950s: Absolute Monarchy
• 1952: Groundwork for democracy starts
• 2006: Fourth King abdicated in favor of the Fifth
• 2008: Bhutan transitioned from a monarchy to a democratic
constitutional monarchy.
• The Constitution of Bhutan(2008, Article 9) calls for the State to
“promote those conditions that will enable the pursuit of Gross
National Happiness.
Historical Context

6. What is GNH?
• A development philosophy
– Essentially that development should be sustainable and take a
holistic approach, giving equal importance to non-economic
aspects of wellbeing.
• An index
– Gross National Happiness Index is a measurement tool for
policy making.

7. The Four Pillars of
GNH
Sustainable Socio-Economic
Development
Environmental Conservation
Cultural Preservation
Good Governance
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8. Further classified into 9 Domains

9. GNH Index
• With the pillars and domains, Bhutan has developed 38 sub-
indexes, 72 indicators/33 grouped indicators and 151 variables
• GNH index is a single number index developed from these
indicators.
• A person is identified as ‘happy’ when they achieve sufficiency in
70% of the domains

10. How Does gnh Guide Bhutan’s
Development?
• Policy making is centered around the GNH index
• ‘GNH Policy Lens’
• Government projects and policies work together to maximize
GNH
• 2011: UN General Assembly unanimously adopted Happiness as
an independent goal for all countries

11. GNH Index in 2015
• The government conducts surveys to gauge the general
happiness level of the public

12. GNH Index in 2015
• Across all groups:
– Men are happier than women
– People in urban areas are happier than rural residents
– Single and married people are happier than widowed,
divorced or separated people
– More educated people people are happier
– Farmers are less happy than other occupational groups

13. How Has Happiness changed?
• Compared to the 2010 Survey:
– GNH increase by 1.8%
– Increases were equalizing
– Urban areas growth outstripped rural areas
– Percentage of deeply happy and extensively happy people
increased to 43.4% from 40.9%
• Concerns:
• Reduction in sufficiency
• Psychological well-being, community vitality, and cultural
diversity

14. What does this mean?
• The sustainable goals for Bhutan must reflect these results
• Preserve the indicators that saw decreases
• Increase happiness for those groups that saw less growth

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