This two-part study led by Dasho Karma Ngawang Ura from the Centre for Bhutan Studies and Gross National Happiness Research will be a landmark extension of well-being metrics and insights in ways particularly salient in this phase of recovery.

Both studies will apply Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness Index to a nationally representative sub-sample. They will compare that population with the national GNH Index, which is being fielded directly before this study, and ascertain whether levels of well-being are higher or lower among youth and religious communities. The team will compare the composition across gender and age groups. As this information is new, it alone will significantly extend the frontier of knowledge.

Relying on recent qualitative interviews with monks, the survey will add questions concerning virtues and mental flourishing. Research questions will probe anxiety, stress management, and dementia patterns among monks and nuns.

A key policy priority in Bhutan is youth entrepreneurship. Thousands of educated youth are unemployed due to the pandemic. In response, the government has set up many activities, including employment opportunities and incubators for generating new business ideas. This study will thus contribute to a very immediate political and national priority while also providing academic insights. Analyses will explore the extent to which specific features are determinants of higher levels of well-being.