New GNH survey: 93.6% of Bhutanese report happiness and upward growth

New Delhi: The Kuensel newspaper of Bhutan has reported that the Gross National Happiness (GNH) Survey conducted by the Centre for Bhutan and GNH Studies has found that 93.6 per cent of Bhutanese respondents aged 15 years or older reported feeling happy.

It indicates an upward growth in happiness compared to previous years. The comprehensive survey interviewed 11,052 respondents across various regions of Bhutan, including village clusters and towns.

The GNH index, which measures overall happiness and well-being, showed a growth rate of 3.3 per cent, marking a significant increase compared to the previous assessment.

The index value reached 0.781, up from 0.756, suggesting an overall improvement in the population's quality of life. This result reflects Bhutan's ongoing commitment to prioritizing the well-being and happiness of its citizens.

The survey categorized the happy respondents into different groups. Of those considered happy, 9.5 per cent were classified as "deeply happy," 38.6 per cent as "extensively happy," and 45.5 per cent as "narrowly happy." On the other hand, 6.4 per cent were classified as "unhappy."

The percentage of individuals falling into the "deeply" and "extensively" happy categories increased by 7.2 percentage points from 2010 to 2022, indicating an upward trend in overall happiness.

Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, Bhutan's increase in GNH can be attributed to improvements in various areas such as housing, income, schooling, services, literacy, and positive emotions.

Interestingly, the survey revealed that while urban dwellers tend to report higher levels of happiness, a significant majority of happy individuals, 56.8 per cent, reside in rural areas. In comparison, 43.2 per cent live in urban areas. This finding challenges the assumption that urban environments guarantee greater happiness.

Overall, the GNH Survey in Bhutan indicates a positive trend in happiness and well-being, with most Bhutanese respondents reporting feeling happy and increasing the population's overall quality of life.

Area of concern

The GNH Survey in Bhutan also highlighted some areas of concern regarding specific indicators. It revealed signs of deterioration in indicators related to healthy days, cultural and political participation, mental health, and adherence to Driglam Namzha (Bhutanese etiquette and dress code). These findings suggest the need for attention and improvement in these specific areas.

The survey also shed light on gender differences, with females reporting a lower GNH index of 0.762 compared to males at 0.814. However, the rate of increase in happiness among females surpassed that of males, indicating progress towards achieving gender equality in terms of happiness levels.

Prime Minister of Bhutan, Dr Lotay Tshering, expressed his expectations for a decline in happiness levels due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he acknowledged the significant increase observed and emphasized the need to address the concerns highlighted in the survey findings.

The prime minister stressed the importance of realigning policies to restore declining indices, particularly in cultural participation and the perception of Driglam Namzha, as these aspects form the core principles of GNH. Specifically, the cultural participation indicator recorded a decline of 14.3 percentage points and Driglam Namzha by 12.2 percentage points in 2022 compared to 2015.

The GNH Index is a comprehensive tool encompassing 33 indicators across nine domains: psychological well-being, health, education, time use, cultural diversity and resilience, good governance, community vitality, ecological diversity and stability, and living standards. Each indicator is weighted, and individuals are classified based on their sufficiency scores.

The 2022 GNH Index Survey received support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency, and the launch event featured video messages from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and Professor James Foster from George Washington University.