Happiness and Development

Milena Nikolova

No 10088, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: Subjective well-being (SWB) indicators, such as positive and negative emotions, life evaluations, and assessments of having purpose and meaning and life are increasingly used alongside income, employment, and consumption measures to provide a more comprehensive view of human progress. SWB measures have several advantages but also challenges which development scholars and practitioners need to carefully consider before introducing such metrics in the policy arena. This article provides an overview of the SWB approach and offers insights into whether and how SWB measures can inform development theory and practice.

Keywords: development policy; subjective well-being; happiness; measurement (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I31 O10 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 14 pages
Date: 2016-07
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cse, nep-hap and nep-ltv
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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