Opinion is divided on whether the breakup of large, diverse countries can increase national wellbeing, write Tony Beatton, Paul Frijters and Nattavudh (Nick) Powdthavee  Among the world’s rich countries, those that are smaller and more socially cohesive tend to have happier populations on average. That is the consensus finding of a survey of leading researchers on wellbeing from around the world. But opinion is divided among the experts on whether the break-up of large, diverse countries into smaller, less diverse ones can be expected to increase national wellbeing. One researcher comments that Catalonia might be an interesting experiment if it were to gain independence.

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