Correlation of Regional Gross Domestic Product with Happiness Index in Each Province in Indonesia

This study seeks to investigate the relationship between regional gross domestic product (GDP) and the happiness index across provinces. Employing a quantitative descriptive and inferential approach, the research utilizes happiness survey data and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) of the Republic of Indonesia. BPS released national and provincial happiness index data in 2014, 2017, and 2021, while GDP figures for each province are based on the years 2014, 2017, and 2021. Initial research analysis involved the use of graphs/diagrams, and further analysis tested the correlation between GDP and the happiness index by employing the Pearson correlation. The data analysis for the happiness index and the regional gross domestic product (GDP) of Indonesian provinces in 2014 and 2017 reveals a lack of significant correlation between these two variables. This suggests that GDP does not directly lead to an increase or decrease in the happiness of a province's population. However, in 2021, there was a somewhat notable connection, as the rise in GDP had a discernible impact on the decrease in the happiness index. It is evident that an increase in the regional gross domestic product of a province does not necessarily result in an elevation of the happiness index among its population.