Evidence for wellbeing policy

As wellbeing becomes an increasingly explicit policy goal in countries across the world, the demand for evidence on which to base intervention is growing. A new open access book synthesises recent developments in wellbeing policy, highlighting key lessons learned and insights for policy making. It reviews the links between wellbeing and domains such as work, health, family, empathy, ageing, gender, education, housing, environment and democracy. Case studies include Bhutan, Aotearoa New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Australia, Japan and Malta. 

A decade of momentum

Ten years after the world marked its first International Day of Happiness, interest in wellbeing has surged across global policy and research communities. The original celebration was rooted in a United Nations resolution asserting that economic growth should enhance happiness and wellbeing – not just wealth. 

Since then, momentum has grown. The OECD’s World Forum has advanced global collaboration on measuring wellbeing, while the European Union formally recognised wellbeing as a core policy goal. In 2021, 149 countries adopted the Geneva Charter for Wellbeing, a commitment to guiding public investment through wellbeing indicators. 

Governments and institutions step in

Alongside these international initiatives, many governments have created wellbeing measurement frameworks. These efforts reflect a broader trend: governments are increasingly seeing wellbeing not as a nice-to-have, but as a legitimate and necessary goal of public policy. 

A growing ecosystem of think tanks, NGOs, advisory councils, and researchers has also taken up the cause. They offer training, develop tools, and advocate for wellbeing-centred governance. These developments signal a major rethinking of what economic and social progress means. 

What is wellbeing?

The concept of wellbeing is still evolving. There is no single agreed-upon definition, but one enduring framework defines wellbeing as functioning well and feeling good. 

This understanding has shaped modern measurement practices. Most approaches today use a mix of objective indicators (such as income, health, and education) and subjective assessments, where people report how satisfied they are with life and how they feel day to day. 

The OECD’s Better Life Index is among the best-known attempts to capture both objective and subjective wellbeing. However, a global consensus on a single wellbeing index has yet to be reached 

The rise of subjective wellbeing

A key development has been the rise of Subjective Wellbeing (SWB) research – people’s own evaluations of their life and emotional states. This research began in 1974 and has matured. Researchers use multiple tools to capture both hedonic wellbeing (pleasure, happiness) and eudaimonic wellbeing (meaning, purpose). 

This growing field of study has uncovered a range of wellbeing drivers. These include individual factors like: 

• employment 
• physical and mental health 
• social relationship. 

It also includes broader social and environmental conditions such as: 

• clean air and green spaces 
• good governance 
• inclusive policies. 

The research has also shown that the factors influencing how people evaluate their lives can differ from those affecting how they experience them emotionally. 

The policy challenge

The advances in defining and measuring wellbeing are paving the way for a new frontier: designing and evaluating public policies that actively improve wellbeing. Embedding wellbeing into policymaking requires: 

• Reframing policy goals 
• Designing cross-sector strategies 
• Evaluating outcomes 
• Reprioritising public investment. 

Wellbeing policy must also span the entire policy cycle – from agenda-setting and design to implementation and review. Feedback loops and cross-sector collaboration are essential to making it work. 

One major challenge is that the evidence base for what works in wellbeing policy is still emerging. While research has linked many factors (like employment or environment) to wellbeing, there are far fewer studies showing the causal impact of specific policies or interventions. 

The bottom line

The book builds the evidence base by surveying practical wellbeing interventions and studies across a range of policy areas. The focus is on highlighting the lessons learned and what has worked to improve wellbeing. It also looks at highlight where the evidence has failed to catch up with the rhetoric of wellbeing. By drawing from a wide range of disciplines and international experiences, the aim is to supports policymakers, practitioners and researchers in making informed decisions that place people’s wellbeing at the heart of public policy. 

• Wellbeing and Policy: Evidence for Action – Marie Briguglio, Natalia V. Czap and Kate Laffan (eds.), Routledge, June 2020

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