The Happy Planet Index (HPI) is not a measure of which are the happiest countries in
the world. Countries with relatively high levels of life satisfaction,
as measured in surveys, are found from the very top (Colombia in 6th place) to the very bottom (the USA in 114th place) of the rank order. The HPI is best conceived as a measure of the environmental efficiency of supporting well-being in a given country. Such efficiency could emerge in a country with a medium environmental impact (e.g. Costa Rica)
and very high well-being, but it could also emerge in a country with
only mediocre well-being, but very low environmental impact (e.g. Vietnam).
Each country’s HPI value is a function of its average subjective life satisfaction, life expectancy at birth, and ecological footprint
per capita. The exact function is a little more complex, but
conceptually it approximates multiplying life satisfaction and life
expectancy, and dividing that by the ecological footprint. Most of the
life satisfaction data is taken from the World Values Survey and World Database of Happiness, but some is drawn from other surveys, and some is estimated using statistical regression techniques.
Color Key Code:
Color signifies Highest rank through to lowest rank; grey indicates Information not available .
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