Let’s work together to create a happier world

The Happier Lives Institute connects impact-focused donors with the most cost-effective opportunities to increase global wellbeing.

Our current recommendation is StrongMinds, a non-profit that provides effective treatment for women struggling with depression in Uganda and Zambia.

Let's work together to create a happier world

The Happier Lives Institute connects impact-focused donors with the most cost-effective opportunities to increase global wellbeing.

Our current recommendation is StrongMinds, a non-profit that provides effective treatment for women struggling with depression in Uganda and Zambia.

Prof Peter Singer
“It was through HLI that I became aware of StrongMinds and started donating to that remarkable organisation. Doing what we can to make everyone's lives happier is something we should all be concerned about.”
Prof Peter Singer
Founder | The Life You Can Save
Prof Peter Singer
Prof Peter Singer
Founder | The Life You Can Save
Prof Jan-Emmanuel De Neve
“HLI is at the cutting edge of wellbeing research. They are leading the way to ensure that philanthropists and policymakers use their resources as effectively as possible to make people happier. ”

Prof Jan-Emmanuel De Neve
Director | Wellbeing Research Centre (University of Oxford)
Prof Jan-Emmanuel De Neve
Prof Jan-Emmanuel De Neve
Director | Wellbeing Research Centre (University of Oxford)
Luke Freeman
I've been very impressed with the quality of HLI's work. They help represent more diverse views, raise the standards for us all, and this greatly improves the effective giving ecosystem.

Luke Freeman
Executive Director | Giving What We Can
Luke Freeman
Luke Freeman
Executive Director | Giving What We Can

Measuring what matters

Most people agree that happiness matters.

You might think it is the only thing that matters.

Over the last 30 years, pioneering academics in economics, philosophy, and psychology have tested and developed reliable measures of happiness and life satisfaction

Today, large population surveys allow us to measure and track wellbeing across the world. We can stop relying on measures of wealth or health as our best guess for how people’s lives are going.

But what is wellbeing and how can we measure it?

You can make a difference

The cost-effective interventions we’ve identified may surprise you.

Our research shows that treating depression in low-income countries is nine times more cost-effective than providing direct cash transfers.

Our latest news and research

Can we trust wellbeing surveys? A pilot study of comparability, linearity, and neutrality

We present a pilot of 50 survey questions we intended to use to assess questions of comparability, linearity, and neutrality in subjective wellbeing measurements. Read more

Immigration reform: a shallow cause exploration

In this shallow cause exploration, we explore the impact of immigration on subjective wellbeing. We review the literature, model the impact of immigration on wellbeing, and conduct some back-of-the-envelope calculations of the cost-effectiveness of various interventions to increase immigration. Read more

Pain relief: a shallow cause exploration

In this shallow cause exploration, we explore the relationship between pain and subjective wellbeing; assess the severity and scale of chronic pain in terms of life satisfaction; and offer some novel back-of-the-envelope calculations for the cost-effectiveness of several interventions to treat pain. Read more

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