Gross domestic product is used at the national level as a measure to determine the level of quality of life and well-being of the community. Gross domestic product (GDP) was created as a measure during the Second World War in order to determine the economic performance of the economy. However, GDP is the market value of the final products and services in a given country, so GDP can be the basis for measuring overall progress in relation to the welfare of society. For years, experts around the world have been looking for an alternative to GDP. Approaches are multiple, the focus is different. Development processes around the world are very complex and determine what the development economy needs to be in order for a country to grow. This area is full of new theories and new information that sometimes confirm and sometimes challenge traditional worldviews. However, in the end, the goal is the same, to enable the understanding of the development economy through education, all in order to enable better living standards. The paper explains the correlation between GDP per capita measures of happiness based on a survey conducted for EU members. For the purposes of the study, the databases of Eurostat and Global Economy were accessed, on which data on the movement of the Index of happiness, GDP and Human development index in the period from 2013 to 2020 were collected. The expected result stems from the analysis of the collected data, the conclusions of which will appeal to the importance of monitoring quality of life indicators and the general improvement of the living standard of the population.