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The Interplay of Happiness and Sustainability: A Multidimensional Scaling and K-Means Cluster Approach

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  • Emmanuel Detrinidad

    (Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Universidad de Castilla la Mancha, Plaza de Universidad 1, 02071 Albacete, Spain)

  • Víctor-Raúl López-Ruiz

    (Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Universidad de Castilla la Mancha, Plaza de Universidad 1, 02071 Albacete, Spain)

Abstract

This study examines the intricate relationship between national happiness and sustainability by analyzing data from the 2024 World Happiness Report (WHR) and the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Index across 74 countries. Employing multidimensional scaling (MDS) and K-means clustering, we investigate the interplay of economic, social, and environmental factors that contribute to subjective well-being. Our results indicate that high-income countries, particularly those characterized by secular–rational values, tend to achieve elevated scores in both happiness and sustainability. In contrast, lower-income nations exhibit diverse cultural value systems that significantly influence their happiness and sustainability outcomes. This analysis identifies distinct clusters of countries with unique governance and cultural profiles, underscoring the inadequacies of traditional economic indicators in measuring societal well-being. By integrating sustainability metrics into happiness assessments, we propose a comprehensive framework for understanding and promoting human happiness. These findings offer critical insights for policymakers aiming to address pressing global challenges, including inequality and health disparities.

Suggested Citation

  • Emmanuel Detrinidad & Víctor-Raúl López-Ruiz, 2024. "The Interplay of Happiness and Sustainability: A Multidimensional Scaling and K-Means Cluster Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-17, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:22:p:10068-:d:1524010
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bjørnskov, Christian & Dreher, Axel & Fischer, Justina A.V., 2010. "Formal institutions and subjective well-being: Revisiting the cross-country evidence," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 26(4), pages 419-430, December.
    2. Helliwell, John F., 2003. "How's life? Combining individual and national variables to explain subjective well-being," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 20(2), pages 331-360, March.
    3. Helliwell, John F. & Huang, Haifang & Grover, Shawn & Wang, Shun, 2018. "Empirical linkages between good governance and national well-being," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(4), pages 1332-1346.
    4. J. Kruskal, 1964. "Multidimensional scaling by optimizing goodness of fit to a nonmetric hypothesis," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 29(1), pages 1-27, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jianjiao Liu & Raymond James Green, 2025. "Nature Through Young Eyes: Exploring Children’s Understanding of Nature in Urban Landscapes in Beijing, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-21, March.

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