Betsey Stevenson

New Capabilities

Professor of Public Policy and Economics

Since 1981, the World Values Survey has asked people in over 100 countries a simple question: Are you happy? The answer, according to data spanning four decades and six survey waves, is increasingly yes—happiness rose in 45 of 52 countries with long-term data between 1981 and 2007, with India, Ireland, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and South Korea showing the steepest gains.

Updated Jan 22