Multidimensional Well-Being in the United States

Our seminar series with the Institute for International Economic Policy continues with a session on measuring well-being in the United States. This seminar explores the construction of a novel measure of multidimensional well-being in the USA, using the same methodology that underlies Bhutan’s well-known Gross National Happiness Index. The conversation around measuring well-being is especially relevant in the context of the recent recommendations from the UN High-Level Expert Group on Beyond GDP. The presentation explores patterns of multidimensional well-being across the United States overall and across key demographic groups, including gender, race and ethnicity, age, disability status, region, and the urban–rural continuum. The findings reveal striking inequalities, with some groups consistently worse off across a broad range of well-being thresholds.