The Economics of Happiness

Well-being Metrics and Health Information

Succulents in small pumpkins and a giant abalone shell symbolize the simple pleasures and happy moments of human well-being.

November 18, 2023. Volume 1, Issue 12.

Cite as: Coleman, Anita S. (2023, November 18). The Economics of Happiness: Well-being Metrics and Health Information. Infophilia, a positive psychology of information, 1 (12).

A warm welcome to new readers and thanks to readers for a good discussion on last week’s The Fascinating World of Festschrifts.

Coming up: I wish you much happiness and a lovely Thanksgiving Holiday celebration and weekend, Nov. 23 - 25. I will be taking a break and the next Infophilia newsletter will arrive in your email inboxes on Dec. 1st (Fri) or 2nd (Sat). Thank you.

Research shows that the world, and the USA too, is a happy place in spite of it all.

It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied. John Stuart Mill (Utilitarianism, 1861)

Human well-being research is also known as subjective well-being or the economics of happiness. It assesses more than the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the traditional measure of a country’s economic performance. For the sixth year running, one of my favorite countries in the world remains the happiest. I share the top ten happiest countries, metrics of the well-being economy, and a reflection on health information.