A recent survey of prominent economists across Europe (conducted by the Centre for Macroeconomics in partnership with the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)) asked if Wellbeing analysis should play an important role in guiding policy makers.

It will come as no surprise to students of economics that the 57 members of the expert panel could not agree! In fact they were split pretty much 50/50 on the importance of wellbeing measures, as shown in this interesting and in depth analysis by CEPR. How exciting you find these results may well depend on your own outlook (is the glass half full or half empty?). More than anything however, we here at Happy City are delighted to see these questions being asked and debated at this level.

Our mission at Happy City is to get people talking and asking questions about what really matters. So to see Wellbeing as a central topic for a CMF survey is to see a huge step in the right direction and massively encouraging. CEPR’s own analysis states that: “As research in this area has developed and expanded, there has been a growing chorus of voices arguing that happiness and wellbeing should be the focus of economic policy”. As one of those voices we are glad we are being heard! And if you’d like to join the chorus please do get in touch here