Fraser of Allander Institute's research into 'happiness'

Oxfam Humankind Index

Professor Kim Swales and Stewart Dunlop of the Fraser of Allander Institute(FAI) presented the results of research on happiness in Scotland, published by Oxfam Scotland as the "Humankind Index" at a press conference in Edinburgh last month.

The research was based on interview evidence with around 3,000 people in Scotland and sought to determine what people believed contributed to a high quality of life. Significantly, the research found that having a high income ranked below other elements such as being in good health, being part of a community, feeling safe in your local community and living in a clean and healthy environment.

In fact, the quality of life Index developed by the FAI indicated that prosperity had increased in Scotland in recent years despite the onset of recession in 2008. It also compared the quality of life in deprived communities in Scotland with Scotland as a whole and found a significantly lower level of happiness in deprived communities. The same quality of life measure for local authorities in Scotland found that people were happiest in island areas, with Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles reporting the highest quality of life.

Oxfam Scotland says the Humankind Index for Scotland is more useful than traditional economic benchmarks like Gross Domestic Product because it focuses on people's real priorities. The Index shows that "local" issues are key to living well - including having facilities you need available locally, being part of a community, having access to green and wild spaces and living in a clean and healthy environment. Judith Robertson, Head of Oxfam Scotland, said, "The Oxfam Humankind Index for Scotland goes beyond simplistic economic measures like GDP. It reminds us that Scotland's economy should serve its people - not the other way around. We're often told that we live in a materialistic world, but Scots are not saying they want to be millionaires. They want a stable, secure income that allows them to care for their families and take part in society."

Stewart Dunlop said, "The Index presents some support for arguments that economic factors are only moderately important in contributing to people's overall wellbeing and our collective prosperity. And there are some priorities that people highlighted that aren't being properly measured at the moment - things like having good relationships, having secure and suitable work, and feeling accepted in society. People said these things are important to them. If we want to create a society that meets their needs, we need to start finding ways of measuring them better in the future."

Stewart Dunlop also presented the results of the research at the Regional Studies Association European conference in Delft in May.

The research appeared in The Herald on May 21, "Councils urged to plan an island quality of life".