Regional application of the Gross National Happiness Index in the context of the quality of life in Slovakia

Abstract

The paper aims to apply the regional application of the Gross National Happiness Index (GNH Index) in the regions of Slovakia. The GNH Index, using the set of nine domains and several indicators within them, primarily aims to assess the comfort of inhabitants and their subjective happiness in the broader context of the quality of life concept. It points at the fact that the overall prosperity and development in the regions cannot be looked at only from the perspective of economic growth, using the gross domestic product as the most important economic indicator. Moreover, it should be approached in a more complex way. The original methodology of the GNH Index used in Bhutan was adapted to the conditions of Slovakia and its regions. The resulting values of the observed index were confronted, in the interregional comparison, with the values of the regional GDP using the Gini coefficient and coefficient of variation as the basic statistic measures of the assessment.