Gross National Well-being
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Gross National Well-being (GNW), also known as Gross National Wellness, is a socioeconomic development and measurement framework. The GNW Index consists of seven dimensions: economic, environmental, physical, mental, work, social, and political. Most wellness areas include both subjective results (via survey) and objective data.[1][2][3]
The GNW Index is also known as the first Gross National Happiness Index, not to be confused with Bhutan's GNH Index. Both econometric frameworks are different in authorship, creation dates, and geographic scope. The GNW / GNH index is a global development measurement framework published in 2005 by the International Institute of Management in the United States.[4][5]
The term "Gross National Happiness" was first coined by the Bhuntanese King Jigme Singye Wangchuck in 1972.[6][7] However, no GNH Index existed until 2005.[8]
The GNH philosophy suggested that the ideal purpose of governments is to promote happiness. The philosophy remained difficult to implement due to the subjective nature of happiness, the lack of exact quantitative definition of GNH,[9] and the lack of a practical model to measure the impact of economic policies on the subjective well-being of the citizens.[10]
The GNW Index paper proposed the first GNH Index as a solution to help with the implementation of the GHN philosophy and was designed to transform the first generation abstract subjective political mission statement into a second generation implementation holistic (objective and subjective) concept and by treating happiness as a socioeconomic development metric that would provide an alternative to the traditional GDP indicator, the new metric would integrate subjective and objective socioeconomic development policy framework and measurement indicators.[11][12]
In 2006, a policy white paper providing recommendations for implementing the GNW Index metric was published by the International Institute of Management. The paper is widely referenced by academic and policy maker citing the GNW / GNH index as a potential model for local socioeconomic development and measurement.[13]
