New Zealand, United Emirates, Buthan: more and more governments spend money on people’s ‘wellbeing’. Now New Zealand’s finance minister, Grant Robertson, announced they will spend billions.
New Zealand’s public budget now directly targets issues such as child poverty, family violence and mental health. The last topic is key for the new governmental initiative. ‘Mental health is no longer on the periphery of our health system. It is front and center of all of our wellbeing’, said Robertson.
New Zealand has one of the worst ratings in the world regarding family and sexual violence, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The wellbeing of children is therefore another big issue to be tackled by the government. ‘Success is about making New Zealand both a great place to make a living, and a great place to make a life’, Robertson added.
Other nations have also started to put the wellbeing of their population on the political agenda. The UAE for example has a National Program for Happiness and Positivity. Small Bhutan spends tax money to measure Gross National Happiness.
