9 September 2013: The Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) has published the second edition of the ‘World Happiness Report’ under the auspices of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The report identifies measurements of well-being within and across nations, and looks for ways to improve happiness and sustainable development globally.

The 2013 Report examines trends in happiness over time, and ranks countries according to their overall and component levels of well-being. Intended to help policy-makers to include considerations of happiness and well-being in decision-making, it identifies the impacts of policies designed with these factors in mind. Issues such as health, perceived freedom, real gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, and generosity are shown to be linked to happiness scores.

Also highlighted in the report are similar efforts to measure happiness, including the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) ‘Better Life Index’ of international guidelines for measuring well-being, and the UN Development Programme’s (UNDP) Human Development Report. [SDSN Press Release] [Publication: World Happiness Report 2013] [OECD Better Life Index] [UNDP Human Development Report]