Ruut Veenhoven is professor of social conditions for human happiness at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, Netherlands, editor of the Journal of Happiness Studies, and director of the World Database of Happiness.

The main subject of Veenhoven’s research is happiness, in the sense of the subjective enjoyment of life. Major questions of his research include: What are the best measures of happiness? How much do people differ in happiness? How do these differences come about? What are the consequences of enjoying life or not?

Some of Veenhoven’s major publications include “Conditions of Happiness” (1984), “Happiness in Nations” (1993), “Happy Life-Expectancy” (1997), and “Quality-of-Life in Individualistic Society” (1999). Veenhoven has also published on love, marriage and parenthood.