In memoriam: Richard Easterlin, 1926-2024

VoxEU

Richard Easterlin, who passed away in December 2024, was a visionary economist whose pioneering research transformed how we think about economic growth, happiness and human wellbeing. This column, written by a friend and colleague, outlines some of the key contributions and impact of a long professional life mostly spent examining data on, and discussing the importance of, human feelings. The Easterlin paradox, which demonstrated that rising income does not necessarily lead to increased happiness, challenged traditional economic assumptions and continues to shape global policy debates.