URBAN POVERTY AND HAPPINESS: A CASE STUDY FROM THIMPHU, CAPITALCITY OF BHUTAN.

Abstract

The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between happiness and poverty among dwellers in Thimphu, capital city of Bhutan. Though there is some drastic drop in overall poverty rate from 31% (2003) to 12% (BLSS 2012) the rate is still alarmingly high. Poverty in Bhutan is a rural phenomenon and much less attention has been paid to emerging urban poverty despite rapid urbanization taking place so rampantly over the years. Though the urban poverty rate which is 4.2% is insignificant in figure but the linkage between happiness and urban poverty was never known. This study analyzes the factors that determine the happiness of dwellers in Thimphu using mostly descriptive statistics, and ordered probit regression. Data used is the Gross National Happiness Survey (2010) secondary data, a survey carried out in 2010 with representative samples taken at district and regional levels. The survey was administered using the GNH questionnaire which gathered data on a comprehensive picture of the wellbeing of Bhutanese. The survey gathered overall data from 7142 respondents. Sample size of Thimphu district is 407. The main findings from the analysis are that different income levels have significant impact on happiness level. Those with high income are happy urban dwellers. Individuals with college education are happy compared to no education groups. For the demographic factors, divorced people are found less likely to be very happy compared with those who are single.