UCSI POLL: GROSS DOMESTIC HAPPINESS DROPPED

KUALA LUMPUR:

January 15, 2020, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is an economic measure of the value of all final products and services in a country, but it might not fully reflect people’s happiness. The World Association of Public Opinion Research (WAPOR) awarded a paper on Gross Domestic Happiness (GDH) in 2009 to Asst.Prof.Dr.Noppadon Kannika, CEO of UCSI Poll Research Centre. In 2019, he introduced GDH to measure the public happiness in Kuala Lumpur for measuring people’s value-as-a-total on their wellbeing, life satisfaction, quality of life, and life actualization via subjective data. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were conducted between December 1, 2019 to January 14, 2020. The survey’ sample size in this project was 2,025 people including 1,051 respondents in September and 974 respondents in December. The target population was general people living in Kuala Lumpur.

The results show that KL people’s Gross Domestic Happiness (GDH) dropped in the latest poll. The average of KL people’s Gross Domestic Happiness (GDH) fell to 6.56 out of 10 points in December, down from 6.92 in September. It is worrisome because the average political factor affecting the GDH fell to 4.98 out of 10 points in December, down from 5.15 in September. Other than that, the average family life factor affecting the GDH fell to 7.06 out of 10 points in December, down from 7.15 in September. However, the average physical health factor rose to 6.79 out of 10 points in December, up from 6.5 in September. When asked about the mental health, the average rose to 6.59 out of 10 points in December, up from 6.46 in September. In addition, the average workplace factor rose to 6.4 out of 10 points in December, up from 6.15 in September.

When asked about the respondents that how happy they were after thinking about their financial situation and pocket money, the results show an average drop to 5.9 out of 10 points in December, down from 5.96 in September. When asked about the respondents that how happy they were after thinking about the country as a whole, the results show an average rose to 5.83 out of 10 points in December, up from 5.81 in September. Moreover, the average natural resources factors drop to 5.84 out of 10 points in December, down from 5.88 in September. In addition, the community factors rose to 6.39 out of 10 points in December, up from 6.05 in September.

Asst.Prof.Dr.Noppadon said that it is interestingly to see that when testing these factors affecting the GDH by higher statistics (i.e., Multiple Regression Analysis), the results show that the “Family Life” plays the first most powerful factor affecting the GDH in September and December. Mental health is the second most powerful factor, and the natural resources is the third most powerful factors increasing the public GDH in KL.

Meanwhile, physical health is the significant factor as well. If the government implements social policies more on people’s family life, mental and physical health, and natural resources, the implementation would help raise the Gross Domestic Happiness in the next poll.

About UCSI Poll Research Centre The UCSI Poll Research Centre (UCSI-PRC) is a public opinion research company owned by the UCSI Group. Its main objective is to utilise original and scientific research methodologies to investigate and analyse public opinions and attitudes.