Happiness

Once a nation has filled its larders, there is no point in that nation becoming richer.

This view is held by several 'Happiness' Economists, who look at how wealth is related to happiness. The conclusion seems to be that beyond a certain level of GDP per capita, which is much lower than you would expect, the more wealthier a nation becomes has no effect on the happiness of its citizens. In fact there might be a trade off between wealth and well-being.

Here Tim Harford, the Undercover Economist, outlines the work of Professor Oswald and Lord Layard, the two professors who lead the research in the UK.
Money Doesn't Make People Happy - Forbes.com

This excellent video clip is all about Bhutan( click here for country info), whose Monarchy have sought to improve people's lives over increasing the nation's wealth

From The Economist, a discussion on how we measure how well off we all are. Here