So how happy are you?

Happiness is not a state of mind caused by a single factor. At any given moment, one element may dominate our feelings, leading us to mistake it for the main reason for our mood — but in truth, many things align to spark happiness.

Bhutan's Gross National Happiness (GNH) index takes a nuanced approach to measuring well-being. It is created using regular and detailed surveys, sampling 11,000 individuals, randomly selected to represent the population. Every four years, around one hundred interviewers pose 134 questions to respondents across the country. Each interview lasts roughly three hours, and the entire effort takes six months to complete. For a small nation, it is a significant undertaking, both in terms of the work involved and its impact. Once finished, the results are debated in parliament and also published online so anyone can see them.

The survey encompasses multiple areas of daily life: how we use our time, culture, education, mental and physical health, community relationships, environmental stewardship, and also governance.

“On average, people in Bhutan have eight individuals they can rely on”

Social connections are essential to happiness — especially the quality and depth of our relations with our family, neighbours, and co-workers. Bhutanese data analysis shows this is a leading factor behind our mood, outperforming income, which ranks eighth or ninth in importance. That said, having sufficient income remains vital for lower-income groups, as poverty in all its forms causes enormous stress. Yet once basic needs are met, the contribution of additional income to happiness flattens, a trend which has been observed right around the globe.

Far more important than having lots of money are intangible things, including generosity, mutual support, and our sense of belonging within a community. These factors include the quality and frequency of face-to-face contact, as well as the number of people you can rely on in times of sickness, despair, or need. On average, a Bhutanese person can count on about eight individuals for support, and in a crisis — such as a death in the family — that network expands to roughly twenty people. Trustworthiness is equally crucial, both in the people around us and in government offices. We must be able to trust each other and feel sure we will help each other if we fall on bad times.

“Our inner well-being is often treated as a private affair”

By probing such topics, the GNH survey stands in contrast to most other indexes of wellbeing. Internationally, the focus remains on per capita income or GDP. Governments everywhere consult citizens on their priorities, but they rarely ask a straightforward question like: What makes you happy? Or, how can you make others happy?

Our inner well-being is often treated as a private affair — and what is private is deemed less relevant to public policy. As a result, government tools continue to prioritise economic production and commercial success.

But our happiness index tracks both objective data and subjective human experiences: people's feelings and dispositions, their outlook on life and the future, and explores how these shift over time.

The GNH survey has implications for subtle policy decisions. For instance, constant engagement with flickering social-media screens has shrunk national attention spans. Since 2010, fewer Bhutanese report having above-average concentration — which we need for clarity and calmness. Those who practise meditation fare best in preserving these skills. This research has prompted the government to take steps to promote meditation.

Having free time is also central to happiness. Commuting consumes hours that could be spent otherwise, and excessively long work hours undermine socialisation. Quality leisure time — essential for well-being — is shrinking. Nationally, the number of days devoted to festivals, music, and community events has declined slightly: in 2015, the average Bhutanese gave 8.2 days to such activities; by 2022, that figure had fallen to 6 days. Everyone needs time to slow down, experience more joy, and appreciate our brief lives.

“Who cares if people are chronically sleep-deprived?”

Mental health often remains invisible to policymakers. Through the GNH, we bring it to the surface of public discussion. Naturally, it is a pressing concern in Bhutan as elsewhere, where research suggests that half the time, people are simply not present in the moment. Being aware of your thoughts — or halting endless rumination — is crucial for happiness. This insight is a spin-off from Buddhist teaching, which has long emphasised it. Now's the time to make policies around it in a secular framework.

Much is already been done globally to confront suffering — whether combating germs or poverty. Looking ahead, we could do even better by paying more attention to the interiority of human life. Who truly cares if people are chronically sleep-deprived? This should be a major concern for both government and individuals. It is time to bring happiness into everyday policy.

Just imagine if we had a powerful agency like a Pentagon of Happiness — instead of a Pentagon of War. When a person dies, he or she will recall how happy life has been. No one dies being an accountant right up to their last breath.