inFocus on Happiness in Canada - How we measure it and why it matters

In 2011, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution that recognized happiness as a “fundamental human goal” and called for “a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes the happiness and well-being of all peoples”.

In 2012 the first-ever UN conference on Happiness took place and the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution which decreed that the International Day of Happiness would be observed every year on March 20.

As we approach International Happiness Day, I wonder, how happy do Canadians think they are? And what impacts our perception of happiness?     

On this episode, I’m joined by two of my colleagues from Abacus Data – Richard Jenkins and Oksana Kishchuk.

Oksana and Richard lead our firm’s Happiness Monitor program, a research focus we started in October of 2020 that tracks how happy or not Canadians are at any given moment and explores what makes us happy and what makes us sad.

Our conversation looks at what we have learned so far, why measuring happiness is so important, and what drives national happiness, especially during a global pandemic.

For more information about Abacus Data's Happiness Monitor, please visit our website to find all the analyses and data we have released so far: https://abacusdata.ca/tag/happiness/

And you can find the most recent analysis on happiness in Canada vs. the US here: https://abacusdata.ca/happiness-canadians-americans/