Learning from the Happy Planet Index

Critiques of GDP as a measure of progress are as old as GDP itself. Its originator, Simon Kuznets, was among the most vocal critics of those who used his index in that way. Despite decades of inadequacy, no replacement has yet been found, and economic growth remains the one number to rule them all. Personally, I think the quest to find a single alternative metric is a dead end: life is not so simple that it can be reduced to a single number, and progress lies in a variety of measures.

However...