Statistically Positioning of Countries in the Context of Happy Planet Index Data

Öz Abstract: In the present study, the Happy Planet Index (HPI) 2016 data was analyzed for the EU, OECD and MENA countries, and the relative positions of these countries were attempted to be determined. Furthermore, the study aimed to determine the position of Turkey with respect to these countries. Statistical analysis results demonstrated that Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Hungary, Latvia, Portugal, Lithuania and Slovakia were similar EU countries based on the HPI variables, while Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, Iceland, Netherlands, Canada, Finland and Australia were the most similar countries among the OECD nations. In the analysis conducted for MENA countries, it was determined that Palestine, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Iran, Syria and Tunisia were the most similar countries, while Zambia was the most different country. In the analysis conducted for both EU and OECD countries, it was found that the most divergent country was Luxembourg, and Zambia was the most different country among MENA countries, and the most significant source of this difference was the ecological footprint variable. Turkey was similar to Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Latvia, Mexico, Algeria and Lebanon in the Euclidean Distance Model graphs, thus, it was concluded that Turkey exhibited similar characteristics with the abovementioned countries based on the scrutinized variables.

Anahtar Kelimeler:

Happy Planet Index, Multivariate Statistical Method, Multidimensional Scaling Analysis

PDF

___

Anielski, M., “Measuring The Sustainability Of Nations: The Genuine Progress Indicator System Of Sustainable Wellbeing Accounts”, The Fourth Biennial Conference of the Canadian Society for Ecological Economics: Ecological Sustainability of the Global Market Place, August 2001, Montreal.

Abdallah, S., Thompson, S., Michaelson, J., Marks, N. and Steuer, N. (2009), The Happy Planet Index 2.0: Why good lives don’t have to cost the Earth, London: The New Economics Foundation.

Abdallah, S., Michaelson, J., Shah, S., Stoll, L. and Marks, N. (2012), The Happy Planet Index: 2012 Report, London: New Economics Foundation.

Bilbao-Ubillos, J. (2013). “The Limits of Human Development Index: The Complementary Role of Economic & Social Cohesion, Development Strategies and Sustainability”. Sustainable Development, 21, 400-412.

Gonda, V. and Rozborilova, D. (2013), “Economic Growth and Prosperity in Difficult Conditions at The Beginning of The 21st Century”, European Scientific Journal, 1, 242-251.

Escobar-Tello, C. and Bhamra T. “Happinness and its Role in Sustainable Design”, 8th European Academy Of Design Conference, 1st, 2nd & 3rd April 2009, The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland.

Jaffeer, R. (2011), “Environmental Performance and Sustainable Development”, Journal of Sustainable Development, 4(6), 181-187.

Jeffrey, K., Wheatley, H. and Abdallah, S. (2016). The Happy Planet Index 2016, A global index of sustainable wellbeing, New Economics Foundation. Kruskal J. B. & Wish M. (1991), Multidimensional Scaling, United States of America: Sage Publications.

Machado, J.T, Guarte, D.M & Duarte, F.B., (2011), “Identifying Economic Periods and Crisis with Multidimensional Scaling” Nonlineer Dynamics, 63, 611-622.

Mally, K. V. (2011), “Measuring Progress Towards Sustainability: The Geographer’s view”, Hrvatski Geografski Glasnik,73(2), 67-80.

Marks, N., Abdallah, S., Simms, A. and Thompson, S. (2006), The (un)Happy Planet Index: An index of human well-being and environmental impact. London: New Economics Foundation.

Nordhaus W. D. and Tobin J. (1972), “Is Growth Obsolete?”, NBER Chapters, National Bureau of Economic Research Economic Research: Retrospect and Prospect, Volume 5, Economic Growth, (pp. 1-80), Massachussets: Cambridge.

Singh, T. (2014). “A Study on Gross National Happiness: Catalyst of Developing Nation”, IRACST – International Journal of Commerce, Business and Management (IJCBM), 3(6), 797-805.

Timm N. H. (2002). Applied Multivariate Analysis, New York: Springer-Verlag.