How are we affected by repeatedly hearing that we live in one of the world’s happiest countries? A new study from the Center for Wellbeing, Welfare and Happiness at the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE) shows that global happiness rankings do not only reflect how people feel. They can also influence how we perceive our own happiness and that of others.

On March 25, the Center for Wellbeing, Welfare and Happiness (CWWH) welcomes Dr. Marc Schulz to the Stockholm School of Economics for a Happy Hour Research Seminar exploring insights from the world’s longest-running scientific study of human wellbeing.

The Center for Wellbeing, Welfare and Happiness (CWWH) has submitted its response to the Swedish Government’s inquiries “Goda möjligheter till ökat välstånd (SOU 2024:29)” and “Fler möjligheter till ökat välstånd (SOU 2025:96)”. In our contribution, we argue that wellbeing growth must be integrated as a central component of Sweden’s long-term productivity strategy.

The Center for Wellbeing, Welfare and Happiness (CWWH) at the Stockholm School of Economics, in collaboration with Swedbank and Sparbankerna, has released the third wave of The Wisdom Panel – a unique national study following over 2,000 Swedes aged 60 and above. The report expands the panel’s focus by introducing illbeing alongside wellbeing, and explores how perceived age, the “mental age gap,” and lived experience relate to psychological health.

How are Sweden’s students really doing – and how can their wellbeing be improved? Together with the Public Health Agency of Sweden, the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE) will study students’ mental health and develop new ways to support wellbeing and academic performance. The results will be presented in February 2027.

Young adults in Sweden feel significantly worse than older people in almost all areas of life. While older Swedes rank among the happiest in the world, young adults struggle with loneliness and psychological distress. These are the findings of a new large-scale study on flourishing in Sweden, published in the International Journal of Wellbeing and conducted by researchers at the Stockholm School of Economics, Lund University, Oslo Metropolitan University and Harvard University.

Each week, people in Sweden’s capital sit down for fika nearly four times on average. It is a small ritual, but one that the research team at the Center for Wellbeing, Welfare, and Happiness at the Stockholm School of Economics says carries real economic weight. According to Stockholm’s new Wellbeing Index Report, strengthening social connection through measures like shared fika could be worth more than 600 million kronor per quarter if it lifted part of the region’s sense of togetherness by just one step.

Applications are now open for two PhD positions starting Fall 2026 at the Center for Wellbeing, Welfare and Happiness (CWWH) at the Stockholm School of Economics. Join a research family dedicated to exploring what truly matters for individuals and society.

What if wellbeing growth became a formal societal target — measured, tracked, and used to guide decision-making? In this seminar, we explore the first results of the Stockholm Wellbeing Index, a new quarterly index aiming to understand how wellbeing is developing across the city.