Book

Why are the world's richest nations not always its happiest? Paradox between Wealth, Income and Happiness examines how countries are ranked by GDP, GDP per capita, purchasing power parity (PPP), and national net wealth, and compares these rankings against global happiness scores from the World Happiness Report. Drawing on the Easterlin Paradox, the Gini coefficient, and recent global inequality data, the book investigates why rising national income does not reliably translate into greater life satisfaction, and why nations like Finland, Denmark, and Iceland consistently outrank far wealthier countries such as Qatar and Singapore. The book combines economic rankings with inequality analysis, examining how income disparity, social trust, and access to public services shape a nation's overall wellbeing. It explores the psychological mechanisms behind the paradox, including social comparison and the diminishing marginal utility of income, alongside real-world data on Bangladesh's own wealth and income inequality in global context.   Offering a timely, evidence-based look at what truly drives wellbeing beyond material wealth, this book will appeal to economists, policymakers, students, and general readers interested in the complex relationship between prosperity and genuine human happiness.