Sample IELTS Task 2 essay: happiness versus economic growth as success

People have different opinions about what makes a country successful. Some people think a country is successful when its people are happy, while others believe that economic growth is the most important thing. In this essay, I will discuss both views and give my opinion.

On the one hand, some people believe that the happiness of the people shows that a country is successful. When people are happy, they are healthier and they work better, so the whole country benefits. For example, countries like Denmark and Finland are very happy countries, and people there have a good quality of life. Also, money is not everything, because a country can be rich but the people can still feel stressed and unhappy.

On the other hand, other people think that economic growth is the best measure of success. They say that when the economy grows, the country can build hospitals, schools and roads, which improve people's lives. For example, a strong economy means more jobs and higher salaries, so people can buy what they need. This is a very important argument because without money, a government cannot do anything.

In my opinion, both happiness and economic growth are important, but I think happiness is more important in the end. The reason is that the goal of economic growth should be to make people's lives better and happier. Money is only a tool, not the final goal.

In conclusion, although economic growth is necessary for a country to develop, I believe that the happiness of the people is the real sign of a successful country, because that is the true purpose of development.

How best to gauge a nation's success is a matter of enduring debate. While some regard the contentment of citizens as the ultimate yardstick, others insist that economic expansion is the truest indicator. Having weighed both arguments, I believe well-being is the more meaningful measure, though it cannot be divorced from economic considerations.

Proponents of happiness as the benchmark argue, convincingly, that a society exists to serve the people within it. Where citizens enjoy good health, strong communities and a sense of purpose, productivity tends to rise and social problems decline. The Nordic countries are frequently cited in this regard: consistently ranked among the happiest in the world, they demonstrate that high life satisfaction and social cohesion are achievable national goals. From this perspective, prosperity that leaves people anxious and overworked represents a hollow form of success.

Those who champion economic growth, however, make a powerful pragmatic case. Without a thriving economy, governments lack the revenue to fund hospitals, schools and infrastructure, and citizens are deprived of the employment and wages that underpin a decent standard of living. By this reasoning, growth is the engine that makes every other improvement possible, and stagnation inevitably breeds hardship.

In my judgement, the two are not genuinely opposed; rather, economic growth should be understood as a means to an end rather than an end in itself. Wealth matters precisely because it can enhance health, education and opportunity, all of which contribute to human flourishing. A country that accumulates riches while neglecting its people's well-being has misunderstood the purpose of development.

In conclusion, although economic growth is indispensable, I am convinced that the happiness and quality of life of its citizens is the truest measure of a country's success.