The practical work of measuring the happiness index of the Maldivian people will commence next year, the Minister of Cities, Local Government and Public Works, Adam Shareef Umar has said. The Minister made the statement in an interview with the state media, PSM News, following the launch of a workshop focused on establishing the aspects for the happiness index.
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s administration initiated the process of establishing a 'Happiness Index' to measure the well-being of the people of the Maldives during the first year of his presidential term. The index aims to determine measures of happiness at the individual level, as well as at the community and national levels.
As part of this initiative, work has now commenced to determine the key components of the happiness scale. The Ministry of Cities, Administrative Areas and Public Works, which is spearheading the project, has already launched a consultation process to gather input on the proposed frameworks.
Speaking to PSM News, Minister Adam Shareef said the framework will include all aspects relevant to the Maldivian way of life. The government aims to complete the framework by the end of this year, with the pilot project scheduled to be launched next year.
“We aim to finalise the framework within the next four or five months. Hopefully, we will be able to launch the pilot project next year,” the Minister said.
The government sees the development of a happiness index as a pathway to addressing social issues, as part of broader efforts to achieve sustainable development. According to the Ministry, the scale will be developed based on international measures of happiness, while also reflecting on the country's economy, culture and religion.