Bhutan – Gross National Happiness

How do people actually measure a country’s happiness? In Bhutan the guiding development philosophy is the Gross National Happiness (GNH).

The 4 pillars of GNH are:-

1. The promotion of sustainable development,
2. The preservation and promotion of cultural values,
3. The conservation of the natural environment,
4. The establishment of good governance.

The Centre for Bhutan Studies defined these four pillars into 8 general contributors to happiness-

1. physical, mental and spiritual health;
2. time-balance;
3. social and community vitality;
4. cultural vitality;
5. education;
6. living standards;
7. good governance;
8. and ecological vitality

Video by Lee-Jean, Citizen Journalist