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ARE you happy? People often ask their friends this question; it shows they care. It’s a question that President Nicolas Sarkozy of France seems keen for social scientists to ask in his country. 1．

During the annual “two sessions”, Chinese lawmakers and political advisors are discussing how to build “a happy China”.

2． 

Many studies have shown that wealthier nations tend to be happier than poorer ones; and richer people appear to be more satisfied than the less rich. But a recent Canadian study shows that the happiest people live in that country’s poorest provinces (Nova Scotia), while those in the richest (British Columbia) are among the least happy. Happiness is not determined by wealth.

Some scholars also believe that happiness is what people finally want and wealth is only a means towards this end. 3．

So what is it that makes people happy, if it isn’t money?

In the US author Dan Buettner’s new book Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zone Way, there is a hint. 4． Rather, Buettner found that the four happiest cities on Earth, which span the globe from Denmark to Mexico, give priority to social networks, health and well-being.

Take Singapore as an example. The city-state has one of the highest population densities in the world.

5． However, in a recent survey, 95 percent of people said they were either very happy or quite happy. They gave their city high marks for cleanliness and safety — subways are clean and trains absolutely arrive on time, and police are helpful and good at their job.

China has achieved a rapid GDP growth and become the world’s second largest economy. However, to build “a happy China”, we need to emphasize people’s livelihoods and quality of life over fast economic growth. We need to look for alternative measures that would show national progress not just by how our economy is growing, but by how our lives are improving; not just by our standard of living, but by our quality of life.