Happiness index launched

The Prime Minister launched his happiness index today. We blogged about this last week, arguing that it was a good idea but that if you really wanted to measure people’s’ well-being then happiness might not be the best way to do it.

So it was pleasing to hear Jill Matheson the head of the Office for National Statistics who will be responsible for devising and running the index making a very similar point on the Today programme this morning:

“It goes beyond happiness. Happiness may be part of it but actually this is much broader than that. What were looking for is a measure that is sustainable over time, that measures people’s own assessment of their life, their quality of life and life experiences. “

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