We live in an age of stark contradictions.  The world enjoys technologies of unimaginable sophistication; yet has at least one billion people without enough to eat each day.  The world economy is propelled to soaring new heights of productivity through ongoing technological and organizational advance; yet is relentlessly destroying the natural environment in the process.  Countries achieve great progress in economic development as conventionally measured; yet along the way succumb to new crises of obesity, smoking, diabetes, depression, and other ills of modern life.

Read: World Happiness Report

The Earth Institute, Columbia University