Bhutan's happiness index edges up but PM not too pleased

New Delhi

PEOPLE in Bhutan are happier now than they were five years ago according to a survey of social wellbeing released by the tiny Himalayan kingdom that, among other things, measures whether they are getting enough sleep.

Mostly Buddhist Bhutan, wedged between China and India, launched the Gross National Happiness (GNH) index in 2010 to include indicators ignored by conventional GDP - the monetary value of all goods and services produced in a country. These range from quality-of-life indicators like leisure time and forest cover to whether people experience negative emotions like anger and envy.