Abstract:

During the past years, more and more countries have realised the importance of measuring the happiness of its people, as well as of identifying the instruments that lead to a state of well-being and happiness.

Although the notion of human well-being is deeply connected to economy, there are other scientific domains that have allotted a more extensive and important number of studies and researches to this subject. The idea of happiness as an “unscientific” term seems to persist in the conscience of economists.

Sociology and psychology have performed comprehensive studies regarding the happiness factor in a person’s life, while economy seems to be still searching for a suitable place for this concept.

This paper is an attempt to presenting different economic, sociological and psychological approaches to the concept of happiness, the economic (and not only) factors that influence happiness) and how it influences in its turn the state of a nation.