GROSS NATIONAL HAPPINESS AND SUSTAINABILITY: OVERVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTION AND BRAZILIAN CONTRIBUTIONS

Abstract

The search for indicators capable of assessing development beyond economic growth has driven research into Gross National Happiness and sustainability, establishing this topic as an expanding interdisciplinary field. This study is a bibliometric analysis employing a quantitative, descriptive, and exploratory approach, aimed at examining international scientific output on this subject and identifying Brazil's contribution to the field. Data collection was conducted using the Scopus and Web of Science databases, utilizing a structured search strategy with terms related to Gross National Happiness and sustainability in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. Study selection followed PRISMA protocol guidelines, resulting in a corpus of 76 scientific articles published up to 2025. Data were analyzed using the Bibliometrix package and the Biblioshiny interface, examining indicators such as publication trends over time, scientific productivity, international collaboration, author impact, the conceptual structure of the literature, and Brazil's involvement. The results revealed a gradual increase in scientific output and a predominance of countries such as Australia, Bhutan, and the United States; Brazil's participation, while still nascent, is of high quality and primarily driven by researchers from Universidade Paulista. The study concludes that the field holds potential for expansion and that Brazilian research can contribute to the development of multidimensional indicators and the strengthening of public policies focused on well-being and sustainability.