Bhutan – Gross National Happiness
In our first post on Bhutan we said one of the main reasons we decided to visit was the strong recommendation from our friends. Beyond the physical beauty of the place, what they raved about most was the special warmth and hospitality of its people. In this post, we take a deeper look into the people and culture of the country.
Without exception, every person we met in Bhutan was friendly, kind, and helpful. We always felt welcome and wherever we went, we were treated like family. I believe their nature shines through in all of the photos on this page.
Prosperity in Bhutan
Bhutan is called the kingdom of happiness. In the late 1970s, the King of Bhutan coined the phrase gross national happiness when he stated, “Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross Domestic Product.”
The idea was to provide a comprehensive approach toward measuring progress, prioritizing overall well-being and happiness over purely economic pursuits. The country developed a Gross National Happiness Index, which quantified 33 conditions to measure happiness. The GNH Index includes both traditional areas such as living standards, health and education and less traditional aspects of culture, community vitality and psychological wellness. It is a holistic reflection of the general wellbeing of the Bhutanese population. The underlying values follow the Buddhist Middle Way, where “happiness is accrued from a balanced act rather than from an extreme approach.” The government provides for most peoples’ basic needs, like free education, healthcare and childcare.
The GNH Index is now enshrined into the nation’s constitution and is updated every year by directly polling a large sample of the country’s population. The GNH Index has been steadily rising every year, with roughly half the country now classified as “Extensively or Deeply” happy, while only about 6% are Unhappy.
For us, all the people we encountered in Bhutan seemed very happy and content.
The Country at a Crossroads?
Bhutan is a very small country, with a small population, and small economy. The people of Bhutan had been living in relative peace and near total isolation for hundreds of years.
Things started to change when they opened up to the outside world in the 1970s. That change was accelerated by the pandemic. When tourism, their main source of income, stopped completely, thousands of Bhutanese left the country in search of work. Having been exposed to other ways of life, many of them are now reluctant to return to their old traditions.
The outside world is creeping in to Bhutan. All around us, we saw young adults and children with smartphones, game consoles and the like. More and more, people are looking for greater economic opportunity. The government is trying very hard to maintain the ideals of a balanced life for their people, but knows it must also satisfy that need for more economic opportunity to keep future generations home. After experiencing Bhutan’s unique people and culture, we really hope they succeed!
