The Happy Planet Index (HPI) is an innovative new measure that shows the ecological efficiency with which human well-being is delivered. The Index doesn’t reveal the ‘happiest’ country in the world. It shows the relative efficiency with which nations convert the planet’s natural resources into long and happy lives for their citizens. The nations that top the Index aren’t the happiest places in the world, but the nations that score well show that achieving, long, happy lives without over-stretching the planet’s resources is possible.

On the map, I'm really glad to see how well Latin America and Southeast Asia scored. Having lived and worked in both places, I can certainly attest to their being super-efficient at converting material goods to human well-being.