How to measure Gross National Happiness

[marmar]

from the Toronto Star:



How to measure Gross National Happiness

Sep 15, 2009 04:30 AM
Martin Regg Cohn


Since its emergence in the 1930s, per capita GDP has been a proxy for our personal well-being. In short, our happiness.

Now two Nobel-laureate economists, Joseph Stiglitz and Amartya Sen, have called for clarity about what passes for well-being. Their landmark report, submitted this week to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, is an impassioned plea to politicians and economists for a broader vision:

Just as money can't buy happiness, per capita GDP can't measure it.

Gross Domestic Product is a narrow benchmark that quantifies total economic output. Per capita GDP doesn't take account of the unequal distribution of wealth, but faithfully measures conspicuous consumption as a net gain. GDP ignores environmental degradation, but counts the hospitalization costs of people poisoned by pollution as a positive.

Sarkozy is calling for a statistical revolution. The French president has instructed his own government officials to update their statistical tools and export these ideas globally.

Canada has good reason to embrace Sarkozy's crusade when he brings it to a meeting of the G20 later this month in the U.S.

Our per capita GDP of $36,687, while impressively high by global standards, remains well below the U.S. level of $43,968 (all figures in U.S. dollars for 2006) – a country where people are still debating whether millions of working poor should get health insurance. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/695624